Progress towards closing the gender pay gap in law firms could be yet another unforeseen casualty of the global coronavirus pandemic. With the suspension of gender pay gap reporting in 2020, the equal pay claim brought against Asda in the Supreme Court this month – the largest ever in the private sector – has shone a welcome spotlight back onto the issue of pay disparity.
It is already clear that across all sectors women are losing out as families try to juggle childcare and work. In the legal sector the consequences of that struggle on gender pay gaps may only be felt next year, as firms assess the performance and contribution of lawyers in determining promotions, pay and bonuses.
