‘End Salary History’ guide launched to improve pay equality

The REC and Fawcett Society have launched an ‘End Salary History’ campaign in order to tackle gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has partnered with the gender equality charity to produce a guide for recruiters to end job applicants being asked how much they earned in previous jobs.

Data from Fawcett Society revealed that 58% of women and 54% of men felt that being asked about their past earnings meant they were offered a lower wage than they might have been otherwise.

Another 61% of women and 53% of men said being asked about their salary had damaged their confidence to ask for better pay.

Kate Shoesmith, Deputy CEO of the REC, said, “Not asking a candidate about their past earnings is a simple way to ensure everyone is being treated equally when they apply for a job, no matter what their background is. Research shows that this helps to narrow gender pay gaps. Equality, diversity and inclusion are hugely important issues for the REC, and we hope that by signing the End Salary History pledge and producing this guide, we can help recruiters to understand the difference they and their clients can make by stopping asking salary history questions.”

Jemima Olchawski, CEO at the Fawcett Society, added, “Asking a job candidate for salary history goes much deeper than an annoying or awkward conversation – it’s an uncomfortable question that in reality, keeps women on lower salaries. Women, people of colour and disabled people are much more likely to be paid less than men. So, when you ask about salary history, past pay discrimination and bias follows through from one job to the next, perpetuating gender, disability and ethnicity pay gaps.

“That’s why we are delighted to work alongside the REC, to create this practical guide for recruiters to end the practice of salary history. This is a simple, evidence-based step to improve pay equality and one that we know is good for women, employers and the economy.”

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