The difference in pay between men and women cannot be "ethically justified" and managers need to do more to adopt working practices that do not penalise women for circumstances "beyond their control", an expert has said.
Sarah Veal, the head of equality and employment rights at the Trade Union Congress, added that companies should not base their assessment of employees' value on their availability, but instead should look at adopting "different types of working patterns" that fit around individual circumstances.
This could help to close the gender pay divide because it would allow more women to match the "performance and input" of male colleagues, she commented.
Ms Veal also said women are "increasingly working in the same jobs as men but society hasn't caught up" - meaning they lack the necessary support in areas like child care that would allow them to continue working.
According to figures from the Government Equalities Office, the mean average gap between the full-time pay of men and women is 17.2 per cent.
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