As the 4 April 2021, gender pay gap reporting deadline
approaches, the UK government has published an updated set of
guidance for employers on the gender pay gap reporting
requirements. Although the reporting requirements have not changed,
the guidance has been updated to include information for employers
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular relating to
furlough leave and the
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
In March 2020, the Government Equalities Office and the Equality
and Human Rights Commission
suspended the requirement to report gender pay gap data
for the 2019/20 reporting year in light of the pressures of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The
new government guidance makes it clear that “[n]o
enforcement action has been taken against employers who did not
report, or who reported late for the reporting year 2019/20…
This is in recognition of the unprecedented uncertainty and
pressure facing businesses in 2020 due to Coronavirus
(COVID-19).”
