Companies could be fined if they don’t share gender pay-gap details

The government is currently working on a new legislation that could see businesses being fined for not sharing pay-gap details.

Minister of State for Equality, David Stanton has brought forward the proposed legislation to clamp down on the gender pay-gap issue.

Companies with over 250 employees will have to share details of salaries, hourly pay, part-time workers’ wages and bonuses at least once a year.

The legislation will be expanded to smaller companies with 150 workers after two years, and then to companies with 50 employees a year after if the bill is passed.

Companies will also have to share details of the number of male and female employees at each level of the salary scale.

It is understood that companies who don’t share the details they will be fined and some cases may be brought towards the Circuit Court.

The bill, if passed, will apply to companies in both the private and public sector.

The gender pay-gap issue has been heavily highlighted in the entertainment industry, with The Crown’s Claire Foy being paid substantially less than her co-star Matt Smith.

However, this isn’t an issue that just affects the entertainment industry, with a submission from the Women's Council of Ireland revealing that working mums earn 14 percent less than their male colleagues.

On average, women who don’t have children earned 17 percent less than their male counterparts.