Equal pay audit step 5: developing an action plan

If you have found differences in pay which cannot be justified, you must put a plan in place to address this as soon as possible.

You action plan should:

• set out when and how you will rectify pay issues, using your findings about any causes of pay gaps from Step 4 of the audit
• outline why this is the soonest that it can be done
• involve relevant trade unions where possible

If you didn’t find any unjustified gender pay differences, your organisation will still benefit from continuing to review and monitor your pay policies and practices to maintain your current standards.

Tip: Set clear timescales and stick to them. Remember, delay could put you at increased risk of equal pay claims being made against you, and the longer you take to resolve any issues highlighted by the review, the greater the amount of back pay and compensation you might have to pay successful claimants.

What your action plan could include

At a basic level, your equal pay action plan should include arrangements to provide equal pay and change any policies or practices that lead to unequal pay. Practical steps could involve:

• Equal pay policy
• Job evaluation scheme
• Job descriptions and titles
• Job grading
• Additional features of a fair pay system