Welcome to what is my first post, and indeed first podcast, for the new HR Hot Topics blog. This is written specifically for the HR community although anyone with an interest in HR and people management in organisations is welcome.

To kick things off I have recorded a podcast on equal pay, an area that continues to be a hot topic for organisations. In this I outline the legislation, the current situation, and I then explore possible reasons behind the continuing gap. The podcast concludes by identifying ways forward, with the role of managers and HR identified. This is intended as a thought piece and I really believe that in order to address the continuing pay gap the causes need to be identified and addressed – it’s clear that legal requirements are not enough.

As part of the podcast I refer to two articles that help to paint a picture of the current gap and the role of gender pay gap reporting. The first is from The Guardian and gives a good summary of the first set of reporting results, as well as giving an overview of what the figures display and potential flaws in the system. This is worth a read as it highlights some interesting statistics on the age at which the gap starts to occur. The second is an article quoting the Royal Statistical Society’s view of the current reporting mechanism.