Recommendations & Conclusions
37 items
1
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
The Government acted at considerable speed to design and implement schemes to protect jobs, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self- Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) have provided a vital safety net to millions of people. However, the design of these schemes overlooked - and in some respects …
Government response. Partially accept. The Government agrees that evidence on inequalities is important when developing any scheme or policy. Which is why, when designing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme policies and subsequent reforms, advice to Ministers …
Government Equalities Office
2
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend that schemes to support employees and the self-employed should be informed by an Equality Impact Assessment, drawing on evidence of existing inequalities. The Government must conduct and publish Equality Impact Assessments of the CJRS and the SEISS alongside its response to this Report. We believe this approach would …
Government response. Partially accept. The Government agrees that evidence on inequalities is important when developing any scheme or policy. Which is why, when designing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme policies and subsequent reforms, advice to Ministers …
Government Equalities Office
3
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We are concerned that the Government’s priorities for recovery are heavily gendered in nature. Investment plans that are skewed towards male-dominated sectors have the potential to create unequal outcomes for men and women, exacerbating existing inequalities.
Government response. Reject. Advice to Ministers included an analysis of how the policies were likely to affect individuals with different protected characteristics. This is in line with legal requirements under the Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 and the …
Government Equalities Office
4
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
The Treasury must provide Equality Impact Assessments for the Industrial Strategy and ‘New Deal’. These should include a Gender Beneficiary Assessment of investments from the industrial strategy to date, including receipts of grants, gender occupational composition of companies operating infrastructure contracts, innovation grants and training participants and outcomes. The Treasury …
Government response. Reject. Advice to Ministers included an analysis of how the policies were likely to affect individuals with different protected characteristics. This is in line with legal requirements under the Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 and the …
Government Equalities Office
5
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Women are traditionally under-represented in sectors that have been singled out for Government investment, such as science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and construction. More must be done to tackle gender inequalities in representation and career progression in these male-dominated sectors so that women do not lose out in the …
Government response. Building Back Better is not about providing support for entire sectors because they provide what are traditionally considered ‘women’s jobs’ but ensuring everyone is able to benefit from the new opportunities opening up in growth areas such as STEM. This …
Government Equalities Office
6
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend the Government fund training schemes specifically aimed at women in the Digital, AI, and the Green Economy through its Kickstart, New Training Fund and Restart programmes.
Government response. Reject. Restart will support people regardless of their characteristics and has been designed as an open-specification provision with providers required to give a personalised offer for all participants, tailored to individual and local need. The programme is designed to maximise …
Government Equalities Office
7
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend the Government amend the Flexible Working Regulations 2014, to remove the 26-weeks’ service threshold for employees to request flexible working arrangements. The pandemic has clearly demonstrated that it is unhelpful and unnecessary. (Paragraph 29) 40 Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
Government response. Considering. Access to flexible working can be key to ensuring increased participation of some groups who are under-represented in the labour market. The Government wants to make it easier for people to work flexibly and in our manifesto, we committed …
Government Equalities Office
8
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
The Government should publish the draft Employment Bill by the end of June 2021. The draft Bill must take into account the recommendations made throughout this report. (Paragraph 31) Benefits and Social Security
Government response. Partially Accept. The Government is committed to bringing forward an Employment Bill when parliamentary time allows that will help us build back better. We are clear that any reforms require us to consider the needs of the labour market today, …
Government Equalities Office
9
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
The design of Universal Credit creates risks for women’s financial independence, which can have severe consequences for women in abusive relationships. These risks have been heightened over the pandemic as other opportunities for economic support have been limited. They now also affect many more households given the rise in claimant …
Government response. supported by resources such as the District Provision Tool and Complex Needs Toolkits, both of which are resources that allow work coaches (and other frontline staff) to identify and signpost to local services offering the type of support required by …
Government Equalities Office
10
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
The Department for Work and Pensions must urgently conduct or commission research to develop its understanding of the gendered impact of Universal Credit design, including the wait for the first payment; the single household payment structure; joint eligibility assessment; and the single earnings disregard. We recommend this research be commenced …
Government response. Through the measures in A Plan for Jobs the unemployed people, including women. This includes job creation through the Kickstart scheme which can be accessed by young women at risk of becoming long-term unemployed aged 16–24 on Universal Credit and …
Government Equalities Office
11
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend the Department for Work and Pensions commit to maintaining the increases in support that have been provided during the pandemic until the end of the pandemic, including the £20 increase in standard allowance for Universal Credit.
Government response. Accept. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the Government has stepped up to support the poorest, most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our country. The Government will continue to do so by maintaining the £20 per week increase to Universal Credit for a …
Government Equalities Office
12
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We find it implausible that it is operationally impossible to increase the rates of legacy benefits by the equivalent amount of the increase in Universal Credit. We recommend the Government immediately increase legacy benefit rates by the equivalent amount.
Government response. Reject. The temporary £20 uplift in UC credit was designed to help people who, as a result of the economic consequences of the pandemic, had seen a fall in their income. Legacy benefit claimants’ income has not been affected by …
Government Equalities Office
13
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Appropriate and clear guidance to Jobcentre Plus work coaches is vital, given pre-pandemic research which found that mothers subject to Universal Credit conditionality felt that their caring responsibilities were disregarded. We were unable to find specific guidance to work coaches on emergency childcare easements, beyond the very general guidance in …
Government response. Reject. DWP has specific easements in place to deal with emergency childcare situations and this information is available to all Work Coaches in the Universal Learning intranet site which provides guidance to all staff. Work coaches receive extensive training and …
Government Equalities Office
14
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Job vacancies remain depressed and women with caring responsibilities require targeted job search support. Maintaining mothers’ attachment to the labour market and increasing the opportunities to retrain for jobs in viable sectors is critical. DWP must expand and tailor its offer for mothers seeking employment, so that it encompasses retraining …
Government response. Accept. DWP Work coaches, including the additional 13,500 currently being recruited by the Department, are already actively engaged in helping everyone, including mothers, access the range of support on offer. Through the measures in A Plan for Jobs the Government …
Government Equalities Office
15
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
While changes to the availability for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) have benefited many, it has also thrown into sharp relief the demographics of those who are not eligible, and for whom the level of SSP provides an inadequate safety net. Women are over- represented in this demographic, and we are …
Government response. Reject. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) eligibility is based, in part, on the amount an individual earns per week rather than the amount of hours they are contracted to work. Those on zero-hour contracts may therefore be entitled to sick pay …
Government Equalities Office
16
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We urge the Government to conduct a study to examine the adequacy of, and eligibility for, Statutory Sick Pay. Such a study should be published within three months, alongside an equality impact analysis. This should be done alongside our recommendation for all workers on zero-hour contracts to be able to …
Government response. Reject. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) eligibility is based, in part, on the amount an individual earns per week rather than the amount of hours they are contracted to work. Those on zero-hour contracts may therefore be entitled to sick pay …
Government Equalities Office
17
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Prior to the pandemic, young people faced a number of challenges including relatively high unemployment, an overrepresentation in forms of insecure work, and long-term issues of low pay and slow career progression. The Government’s flagship apprenticeship programme, intended to boost both employment and progression, suffered from a number of gender …
Government response. The Committee is right to highlight that occupational segregation by gender remains an issue in the wider labour market and, as an employer-led programme, apprenticeships reflect this. The Government is committed to improving parity for men and women in apprenticeships …
Government Equalities Office
18
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend that the Government mainstream equality into the design of apprenticeships and worked-based learning and actively challenge occupational segregation by gender. It must publish a gender equality plan for its apprenticeship programme and an action plan to increase the number of women in STEM apprenticeships.
Government response. Reject. The Government agree with the Committee that we should mainstream equality into the design of apprenticeships but are confident that this is already happening. Apprenticeships can support employers in creating more diverse workforces and we want to make sure …
Government Equalities Office
19
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend that the Government establish quotas for women in its Kickstart scheme.
Government response. Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017. This requirement has never changed, however given the unprecedented circumstances employers faced enforcement action was suspended. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) announced on 23 February 2021 that due to the continued effects of …
Government Equalities Office
20
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend that DWP introduce training for Jobcentre Plus work coaches on supporting applicants into gender ‘atypical’ jobs. (Paragraph 80) Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination
Government response. gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027. Disabled people are supported to enter employment and stay in work through a range of programmes such as the Work and Health Programme, Access to Work …
Government Equalities Office
21
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We are gravely concerned by evidence detailing potentially unlawful and discriminatory practices towards pregnant women and those on maternity leave during the pandemic. This should have been better anticipated by the government at the beginning of the pandemic and preventative actions taken. It cannot be allowed to continue. The Government …
Government response. gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027. Disabled people are supported to enter employment and stay in work through a range of programmes such as the Work and Health Programme, Access to Work …
Government Equalities Office
22
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We urge the Government to introduce legislation in this Parliamentary session to extend redundancy protection to pregnant women and new mothers. The Government must also publish a cross-departmental strategy, following consultation with stakeholders, for dealing with pregnancy and maternity discrimination. We recommend this strategy be published within the next six …
Government response. The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service collect HR1 data and share it with Government Departments and Agencies which provide support for redundant employees and the unemployed. HR1s are submitted by employers where there is a proposal to make 20 or …
Government Equalities Office
23
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
A reliable and affordable childcare system is a prerequisite of a gender equal economy and a gender equal recovery from the pandemic. Yet, the childcare sector could 42 Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact hardly have been in worse financial shape on the eve of the pandemic and …
Government response. The Government recognises the extra pressures faced by those balancing work with childcare and home-schooling. We know that much of this falls on women, with ONS figures highlighting that in households with a child aged under 5 years, women did …
Government Equalities Office
24
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Given this backdrop, many childcare providers were vulnerable to the economic turmoil generated by the pandemic. The Government’s financial support for the sector has not been sufficiently generous nor has it been targeted to the specific needs of providers. Even with Government support, the significant drop off in private fees …
Government response. The Government recognises the extra pressures faced by those balancing work with childcare and home-schooling. We know that much of this falls on women, with ONS figures highlighting that in households with a child aged under 5 years, women did …
Government Equalities Office
25
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend the Government publish, by June 2021, an early years strategy which sets out how childcare provision can best support not only working parents, but also those who are job-seeking and re-training. The review must also consider the feasibility of extending eligibility for free childcare provision for children under …
Government response. Reject. DfE already offers a range of childcare support to working parents and those in education, and this sits alongside support available from other government departments, including DWP and HMRC, in helping parents with the costs of childcare. The full …
Government Equalities Office
26
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We are concerned that the Government Equalities Office (GEO) did not anticipate how inequalities were likely to be exacerbated by the pandemic and ensure that it influenced the policy response, including in relation to employment, welfare, childcare and pregnancy and maternity. We have seen little evidence that the Government has …
Government response. One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like geography and social background, alongside the protected characteristics, within an …
Government Equalities Office
27
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We were concerned to hear the Minister for Equalities repeatedly refer to considering the effects of policies “in the round” in response to questions about the gendered impact of the Government’s policies. We are deeply concerned that a GEO Minister should appear dismissive of the imperative to consider the effects …
Government response. One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like geography and social background, alongside the protected characteristics, within an …
Government Equalities Office
28
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We believe the GEO must take a more proactive role in mainstreaming gender equality in policy development across all Government departments. We urge the GEO and the Minister for Women and Equalities to be much more ambitious in co- ordinating equalities strategies and holding departments to account on equalities. The …
Government response. One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like geography and social background, alongside the protected characteristics, within an …
Government Equalities Office
29
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Robust equalities data is crucial to effective policy responses. We have been frustrated by the lack of data disaggregated by sex and other protected characteristics. The lack of intersectional data in large government data sets continues to frustrate meaningful analysis.
Government response. One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like geography and social background, alongside the protected characteristics, within an …
Government Equalities Office
30
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend the Government require all departments to collect and publish data disaggregated by sex and protected characteristics in a way that facilitates reporting and analysis on how, for example, gender, ethnicity, disability, age and socio-economic status interact, and can compound disadvantage.
Government response. One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like geography and social background, alongside the protected characteristics, within an …
Government Equalities Office
31
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We were disappointed that the Government chose to suspend, rather than delay, gender pay gap reporting and enforcement for this year. Given the high number of women who have been furloughed or worked reduced hours due to caring responsibilities, and the evidence of continuing gender inequality in other areas, this …
Government response. Due to the unprecedented circumstances currently facing employers, the EHRC announced that employers will have until 5 October 2021 to report their gender pay gap information. The changes for the 2020/21 reporting year gives those required to meet the regulations …
Government Equalities Office
32
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend that gender pay gap reporting be urgently reinstated, with reporting for the financial years 2019/20 and 2020/21 required in April 2021.
Government response. Partially accept. The legal requirement for relevant organisations to publish gender pay gap data each year is set out in The Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017. This requirement has never changed, however given the unprecedented circumstances …
Government Equalities Office
33
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend the GEO and EHRC explore the feasibility of reporting on parental leave policies in addition to gender gaps in furlough and redundancies for 2020/21 to supplement the information on pay and bonuses. We also urge the Government to support The Equal Pay (Implementation and Claims) Bill.
Government response. Considering. In July 2019 the Government consulted on proposals to require large employers to publish their parental leave and pay policies. The consultation received over 3,500 responses and we will publish the formal response to that consultation in due course.
Government Equalities Office
34
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
There have been growing calls for ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. The unequal economic effects of the pandemic have demonstrated the imperative to introduce these measures.
Government response. Reject disability pay reporting. The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027. Disabled people are supported to enter employment and stay in work through a …
Government Equalities Office
35
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
The Government should publish proposals for introducing ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting within the next six months.
Government response. Reject disability pay reporting. The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027. Disabled people are supported to enter employment and stay in work through a …
Government Equalities Office
36
Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
Whilst we appreciate the greater ‘reach’ of the ONS data, the HR1 form would provide valuable (and complementary) real time data, with which to analyse those most at risk of redundancy before policy decisions are implemented.
Government response. Reject. The Government does not believe this form is an appropriate way to collect this information. The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service collect HR1 data and share it with Government Departments and Agencies which provide support for redundant employees and …
Government Equalities Office
37
Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavir…
We recommend the Government amend the HR1 form to require information about the sex, race, and if possible other protected characteristics of staff. (Paragraph 146) 44 Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
Government response. Reject. The Government does not believe this form is an appropriate way to collect this information. The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service collect HR1 data and share it with Government Departments and Agencies which provide support for redundant employees and …
Government Equalities Office