Committee supports women's rights at work

Parliamentary committee report voices equality concerns.

The Parliamentary Committee on Business Innovation and Skills recently published the findings of its  review into women and in the workplace, following widespread concerns that women are falling behind in the career stakes.

The committee looked at all aspects of women’s work and career development from careers advice, to training, progression and protection against discrimination.

They were concerned at the lack of careers advice offered to boys and girls, and called for a cultural change in education, especially at the point when pupils choose subjects.

Girls in particular can find themselves discouraged from studying science and technology.

The committee believes the government should set targets for women in technical apprenticeships and use its funding to force higher education institutions to improve the proportion of women studying science and technology-related (STEM) subjects.

The government should use its buying power to promote private-sector firms with a good track record of employing and promoting women.

The committee was concerned that the Women in Work programme, which helps women get back into work, could be under threat now that Sector Skills Councils have to bid for funding, rather than receiving grants.

It recommended that large private companies should be forced to undertake and publish equal pay audits, and if necessary, compelled to publish data on the number of women in senior positions.

And the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public bodies to consider equality when employing staff and providing services, should be left intact.

The committee recommended that employees should be able to ask for flexible working from day one, rather than after six months, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission should be offered more resources to support small and medium-sized businesses to introduce flexible employment.

It urged the government to fund more research into maternity discrimination and recommended that women should not be charged the £1,200 fee when claiming maternity discrimination at an Employment Tribunal.

Valuing Maternity, a consortium of groups campaigning for better maternity rights for working women, said it would be pushing the government to implement the report's findings.

It welcomed a judicial review launched by public sector union UNISON, against the introduction of the employment tribunal fees.

Vital reading. Click here to see the whole paper.