The Equal Pay Act protects employees from unfair discrimination in the workplace. The law states that both men and women should be paid equally where they are doing the same job (or one of equal value). This means companies can’t treat you differently based on your gender when it comes to pay.
Despite this, lawyers claim that Asda’s pay isn’t fair. The people who work in its warehouses, mostly men, get paid up to £3 more per hour than the people who work in the stores, who are usually women.
Legal experts believe that the only reason shop floor workers have not been paid equally is that Asda sees the work done by women as lesser in value. Asda disputes this, arguing that you cannot compare the roles.
The equal pay case against Asda
Back in 2014, over 7,000 female Asda store workers brought claims to an Employment Tribunal. In 2021, this case took a significant step forward when the UK Supreme Court ruled that women who work in Asda’s stores could compare their jobs with those done for a higher wage in Asda’s warehouses and lodge a claim over the alleged gender pay gap. If the supermarket giant loses its case, according to reports it could be forced to pay a whopping £1.2 billion in backpay, and an increased pay bill of up to £400 million per year.
But did you know that both men and women can make an Asda equal pay claim?
Men are joining the Asda equal pay action
Anyone who has worked at an Asda store in England or Wales over the past six years could have a claim for equal pay, regardless of gender, as long as they were paid an hourly rate. Even if the pay gap is because of gender, male employees at Asda stores likely experienced similar losses as their female coworkers and are entitled to the same compensation.
The Asda equal pay claim highlights the importance of gender equality in the workplace and the need for fair compensation for all employees. By seeking justice through equal pay claims, male and female workers are not only fighting for their own rights, but challenging systemic inequalities within the workplace.
Can you make an Asda equal pay compensation claim?
Want to join the battle for equal pay? If you are currently employed as an Asda store worker and are paid an hourly rate, or have been in the last six years, you could have a no-win, no-fee compensation claim.
Try our simple eligibility checker to find out if you have a claim. It will only take a few seconds and there’s no obligation to proceed.
If eligible, and you want to make a claim, we’ll connect you with KP Law, a legal firm running an Asda equal pay group action.
Find out more about the Asda equal pay action and our partnership with KP Law here.
