Want to know what your colleagues earn? You may one day have a right to find out

Employees should be able to find out what their colleagues are being paid, the UK’s equality watchdog has said.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said bosses should be legally required to respond to questions about how much colleagues are earning, in a move that aims to cut pay discrimination.

As well as basic salaries, the proposals, which comes in response to a government consultation on equal pay reforms, would allow employees to ask details about colleagues’ working hours, overtimes, bonuses and performance-related pay.

An explanation for differences in earnings would also be mandatory.

The watchdog went further to say employers should be banned from asking candidates about their current salary when offering them a job, in order to stop a cycle of pay discrimination.

Currently, prospective employers in the UK are allowed to ask candidates about their salary in their present role, but applicants are under no obligation to tell them.

It comes as research by the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for women and gender equality, found that 58 per cent of women and 54 per cent of men felt that being asked about past earnings resulted in them being offered a lower wage, the EHRC reported.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the gender pay gap among full-time employees was 6.8 per cent in April.

The EHRC said that improving pay transparency, including requiring employers to publish salary information in job adverts and the introduction of a statutory pay questionnaire, can help avoid discrimination.

Mary-Ann Stephenson, chairwoman of the EHRC, said: "Unequal and discriminatory pay can fuel inequalities and limit opportunities in many aspects of our lives. But the current equal pay system is too complex and is often difficult for people to navigate. These reforms are an opportunity to make the system better for both workers and employers.

"Publishing salaries in job adverts is a positive step. But employers should not be allowed to ask about candidates’ salary history or expectations, which can result in existing inequalities being carried into a new role.

“The proposed statutory pay questionnaire will only make a difference if employers are required to respond. Giving workers timely access to pay information could also help identify discrimination sooner and avoid legal action.

"As Britain’s equality regulator, we hold the expertise to regulate in this area. But any new regulatory unit within the EHRC must be adequately resourced to be effective."