The earnings gap between disabled and non-disabled workers sits at £2.24 an hour, equating to a 15.5% pay gap, according to analysis by Trades Union Congress (TUC).
This is an improvement from 17.2% last year.
Disabled workers effectively stop earning from 12 November due to the pay gap, effectively working for free from now until the end of the year. Disabled employees working 35 hours a week earn, on average, more than £4,000 less a year than non-disabled workers.
The gap is wider for disabled women; non-disabled men earn 27.3% more than disabled women, at £17.71 and £13.91 respectively.
Meanwhile, white disabled staff earn an average median hourly pay of £14.53, and white non-disabled employees earn £16.96, which is a 16.8% gap. Disabled BME workers earn an average median hourly pay of £14.62, and non-disabled BME staff earn £15.86, equating to an 8.4% gap.
Disabled workers are more likely to be employed on zero-hours contracts than non-disabled workers, at 4.3% and 3.3% respectively.
According to the TUC, government measures including banning zero-hours contracts through the Employment Rights Bill, a commitment to introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting for employers and action plans to address any identified gaps could improve the lives of disabled workers.
Paul Nowak, general secretary at TUC, said: “Everyone who works for a living deserves to earn a decent living. But disabled workers are still waiting for pay parity and fair treatment at work. Urgent action is now needed to improve the quality of work and pay for disabled people.
“The government’s commitment to delivering mandatory pay gap reporting and banning exploitative zero-hours contracts are among some of the measures that will make a real difference in disabled people’s working lives. It’s important we now see those plans realised as soon as possible. We need an economy that allows disabled people to thrive, not one that traps them in poverty.”
