The government has published a consultation on the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, and mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting.
The consultation will seek views on how to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting for large employers with 250 or more employees. As large employers already report on their gender pay gaps, views on how ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting could work in practice are being sought.
Responses will help to shape proposals that will be included in the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which was first announced in the King’s Speech in July 2024.
The government is inviting responses from any interested parties, while particularly welcoming views from those who may be most affected by the measures. This includes employers, public sector bodies, trade unions, race and disability stakeholders, individuals from ethnic minority groups, disabled people, and disabled people’s organisations.
Seema Malhotra, MP for Feltham and Heston, said: “The manifesto and King’s Speech last July announced our intention to legislate to deliver mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for larger employers. These measures will help employers identify and tackle pay disparities across their workforces, remove barriers to opportunity for ethnic minority and disabled staff and support our Plan for Change in driving up household income for all.
“Responses to the consultation will shape the pay gap reporting measures that we will include in the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. We are considering what other measures the draft bill could incorporate, including through a call for evidence which will be published separately. The call for evidence will include consideration of how we make the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people.”
