Rise of Equal Pay Claim Firms Set to Rock Private Sector
Law Firm Pannone LLP has sent a chilling warning to the Private sector to brace itself for the Equality Act which comes into force in October. The firm claims a wave of discrimination claims are likely to arise with the abolition of pay secrecy clauses.
The Act will render such clauses unenforceable, and pay disclosure will be permissible if it is to establish pay discrimination. David Carmichael, partner at Manchester law firm Pannone claims this will lead to a rise of claims from so called “equal pay specialist”, leading to a wave of equal pay claims in the private sector.
Over the past five years the Public Sector has paid out millions in equal pay tribunals with many cases widely documented in the national press. David Carmichael claims specialist firms have every reason to turn their attention to the private sector.
“Recent years have seen these ‘equal pay firms’ target the public sector – urging everyone from dinner ladies to teaching assistants – to make pay discrimination claims. These firms have now pretty much exhausted the public sector and the market has reached saturation point.”
“However, the Equality Act and abolition of pay secrecy clauses will now pave the way for these firms to target big businesses in the private sector, many of which may be vulnerable to equal pay claims.”
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