Printers may wish to make pay scale information more transparent

Employers ought to do more to reduce the gender pay gap, it has been argued.

Companies ought to work harder to reduce the gender pay gap, it has been suggested.

Karen Moore, head of policy for the Women's Resource Centre, said employers are inherently reluctant to tackle the problem.

"In spite of direct action, campaigning and legislation to address this issue, the gap still persists at an unacceptable 15.5 per cent," she argued.

And the discrepancy will continue to exist until there is more transparency in how companies organise their pay scales and enact performance-related pay, Ms Moore continued.

She added the government needs to act quickly in order to ensure women are given the same rights as men and alleviate their fears that they are being "left out in the cold financially".

The expert's comments come after a survey conducted by MySalaryChecker.com revealed 80 per cent of British females feel they are being underpaid, while 38 per cent of these believe they are underpaid by as much as 25 per cent.