Gender pay gap laggards hounded by watchdog

Hundreds of UK firms who have missed April's gender pay gap reporting deadline are being pursued by Britain’s equality watchdog.

The Guardian reports that up to 500 companies are under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for failing to submit their data. They are at risk of a conviction, an unlimited fine, and are being forced to publish their data by the courts.

Rebecca Hilsenrath, the EHRC Chief Executive, said: “Breach of these regulations is breaking the law and we’ve always been clear we will enforce with zero tolerance.”

More than 10,600 employers have already reported their gender pay gap data, although around 1,500 failed to meet the April deadline. Most have since complied with the law.