09.04.2025

Government launches call for evidence to break down barriers to opportunity at work

A new call for evidence launched by the government will enable business, trade unions and civil society to shape action helping everyone, no matter their background, to thrive under its Plan for Change.

Responses will support consideration of a range of areas, including steps to make the right to equal pay effective for women, people from ethnic minority groups, and disabled people.

This call for evidence is one of several exercises which will help shape the measures included in the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill which will be published this session. This follows the recently launched mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation, which closes on 10 June.

Minister for Equalities, responsible for race and ethnicity policy, Seema Malhotra MP said: "I am pleased to announce the launch of a call for evidence on equality law, an important step in this government’s Plan for Change.

"Our goal is to understand how we can better remove barriers to opportunity and boost household incomes across the country so people can achieve according to their talents, irrespective of their backgrounds."

The government wants to hear from anyone with relevant evidence – from expert bodies, employers, disabled people’s organisations and civil society to trade unions, public authorities and those with expertise by experience – on a number of areas of equality policy, including:

the prevalence of pay discrimination on the basis of race and disability
making the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people
measures to ensure that outsourcing of services can no longer be used by employers to avoid paying equal pay
improving the enforcement of equal pay rights by establishing an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit, with the involvement of trade unions.
improving pay transparency
strengthening protections against combined discrimination
ensuring the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is met by all parties exercising public functions
creating and maintaining workplaces and working conditions free from sexual harassment for all
commencing the socio-economic duty

This will make sure policies are shaped by a range of expertise and help open opportunities to all.

Minister for Social Security and Disability, Stephen Timms MP said: "I’m proud to support this call for evidence, which will help inform the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill in line with the government’s manifesto commitment to put disabled people’s views and voices at the heart of all we do.

"I encourage people to take part and help shape plans that boost individual opportunity for disabled people, increase household incomes and support businesses in employing the best person for the job."

Chief Executive at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Peter Cheese, said: "Strong equality policies are key to a resilient economy, benefiting both employers and employees in a changing labour market. We welcome the UK government’s call for evidence on its equalities reform programme to shape equality law and help build fair, inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive. By working together, we can develop evidence-based reforms that can drive performance and enhance equality of outcomes for all."

Race Equality Director at Business in the Community, Sandra Kerr CBE, said: "I am delighted that the Government has launched its consultation into ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, with the intention to introduce mandatory reporting for all large businesses. Business in the Community has been campaigning for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting for many years because we believe that all employees should be entitled to fair and equal pay and opportunities for progression. Having seen the successes of gender pay gap reporting for businesses and employees across the UK, I hope that these successes can be used to shape the implementation of ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. It is also encouraging to see that the Government is looking to address the barriers faced by those experiencing combined discrimination, based on a combination of protected characteristics. It is critical that government and business work together to make sure these laws work for everyone, so that we can break down these barriers to opportunity once and for all and ensure that no one is left behind."

The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks and end on 30 June 2025. It will ensure we break down barriers to opportunity and drive up household income for everyone, making work pay in an economy where everyone can succeed.

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