The Supreme Court has handed down a judgement in a long running equal pay case brought by shop floor workers against Asda. The shop floor workers, who are predominantly female, are arguing that they have been paid less than male workers in the distribution centre for doing work which is of ‘equal value’.
Asda disputed that the shop floor workers should be able to compare their pay with that of workers in the distribution centre. However, the Supreme Court has now ruled that those workers can be compared with one another, even if the two groups of workers are not based at the same establishment.
Whilst it is an important decision for the shop floor workers, they still have a way to go with their case – they’ve yet to prove the work they do is of equal value, and Asda is still open to argue that there is a material difference in the roles which justifies a difference in pay.
Asda is not the only big name retailer to be involved in equal pay claims, others such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s are too. With equal pay hitting the headlines once again, some employers may be wondering how the law on equal pay works. Below we take a look at some key things it can be helpful to know:
If an employee in your organisation raises a complaint about equal pay, you should contact Kingfisher Professional Services Ltd for advice on the facts of your case.
If you have an employment law matter you would like assistance with, please do not hesitate to contact us as we are happy to help.