Making Sense of Equality Law: A Review of the Hepple Report

Gender pay gap reporting regulations: advancing gender equality policy in tough economic times

“…Harman's work as secretary of state for equalities entailed review of the legislative framework, responding to domestic and external (European Union) pressures for change (Grimshaw, 2007;Squires, 2007), and drawing on advocacy and research by leading equalities campaigners and experts, which reflected dissatisfaction with the prevailing approach relying on individual litigation (Conley, 2014;Deakin et al, 2012;Hepple, 2012;Kahn and Meehan, 1992;Rubery and Grimshaw, 2015). The new model, as outlined in the 2001 Hepple report, rested on three basic principles: strong incentives for internal scrutiny by organizations; engagement with stakeholders; and an independent enforcement agency with the ability to apply deterrent sanctions if voluntarism fails (Hepple, 2012: 65; see also Fredman, 2008;Harrington, 2001;Hepple, 2011a). Responding to the Hepple report's recommendations, the Labour Party pledged support for a single equality bill in its 2005 manifesto, but it took another two years for draft texts to be prepared and opened to consultation.…”