Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact

Women and Equalities Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 9 Jun 2020 Closed: 4 Nov 2021 Parliament page
Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact The Women and Equalities Committee is launching three sub-inquiries, drawing on evidence to our Unequal impact: Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the impact on people with protected characteristics inquiry. Read more about our decision to launch the sub-inquires . In this sub-inquiry, we want … Read more
23 Recommendations
14 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
1 Letter
4 Events
Activity timeline 11 events
14 May
2021
Report published
27 Apr
2021
Correspondence
9 Feb
2021
Report published
4 Nov
2020
Oral evidence
4 Nov
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
14 Oct
2020
Oral evidence
14 Oct
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
16 Sep
2020
Oral evidence
16 Sep
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
8 Jul
2020
Oral evidence
8 Jul
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
4 Nov 2020
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Helen Walker · Department of Work and Pensions Jo Warner · Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kemi Badenoch MP · Government Equalities Office Mims Davies MP · Department for Work and Pensions Paul Scully MP · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Paul Trenell · Government Equalities Office Tom Hemingway · HM Treasury
14 Oct 2020
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Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
Dr Duncan Brown · Institute of Employment Studies Dr Monica Costas Dias · Institute for Fiscal Studies Professor Jill Rubery · University of Manchester
16 Sep 2020
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Liz Bayram · Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) Mary Robertson · Trades Union Congress Victoria Brownlie · The British Beauty Council
8 Jul 2020
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Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson · UK Women's Budget Group Professor Abi Adams-Prassl · University of Oxford Rosalind Bragg · Maternity Action Victoria Benson · Gingerbread
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered econo… HC 385 9 Feb 2021 37 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
37 results
1 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
The Government acted at considerable speed to design and implement schemes to protect jobs, and...
The Government acted at considerable speed to design and implement schemes to protect jobs, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self- Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) have provided a vital safety net to millions of people. However, the … Read more
Government Response
Partially accept. The Government agrees that evidence on inequalities is important when developing any scheme or policy. Which is why, when designing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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2 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend that schemes to support employees and the self-employed should be informed by an...
We recommend that schemes to support employees and the self-employed should be informed by an Equality Impact Assessment, drawing on evidence of existing inequalities. The Government must conduct and publish Equality Impact Assessments of the CJRS and the SEISS alongside … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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3 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We are concerned that the Government’s priorities for recovery are heavily gendered in nature.
We are concerned that the Government’s priorities for recovery are heavily gendered in nature. Investment plans that are skewed towards male-dominated sectors have the potential to create unequal outcomes for men and women, exacerbating existing inequalities. Read more
Government Response
Reject. Advice to Ministers included an analysis of how the policies were likely to affect individuals with different protected characteristics. This is in line with legal requirements under the Public … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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4 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
The Treasury must provide Equality Impact Assessments for the Industrial Strategy and ‘New Deal’.
The Treasury must provide Equality Impact Assessments for the Industrial Strategy and ‘New Deal’. These should include a Gender Beneficiary Assessment of investments from the industrial strategy to date, including receipts of grants, gender occupational composition of companies operating infrastructure … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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5 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
Women are traditionally under-represented in sectors that have been singled out for Government investment, such...
Women are traditionally under-represented in sectors that have been singled out for Government investment, such as science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and construction. More must be done to tackle gender inequalities in representation and career progression in these male-dominated … Read more
Government Response
Building Back Better is not about providing support for entire sectors because they provide what are traditionally considered ‘women’s jobs’ but ensuring everyone is able to benefit from the new … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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6 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend the Government fund training schemes specifically aimed at women in the Digital, AI,...
We recommend the Government fund training schemes specifically aimed at women in the Digital, AI, and the Green Economy through its Kickstart, New Training Fund and Restart programmes.
Government Equalities Office
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7 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend the Government amend the Flexible Working Regulations 2014, to remove the 26-weeks’ service...
We recommend the Government amend the Flexible Working Regulations 2014, to remove the 26-weeks’ service threshold for employees to request flexible working arrangements. The pandemic has clearly demonstrated that it is unhelpful and unnecessary. (Paragraph 29) 40 Unequal impact? Coronavirus … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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8 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
The Government should publish the draft Employment Bill by the end of June 2021.
The Government should publish the draft Employment Bill by the end of June 2021. The draft Bill must take into account the recommendations made throughout this report. (Paragraph 31) Benefits and Social Security
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9 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
The design of Universal Credit creates risks for women’s financial independence, which can have severe...
The design of Universal Credit creates risks for women’s financial independence, which can have severe consequences for women in abusive relationships. These risks have been heightened over the pandemic as other opportunities for economic support have been limited. They now … Read more
Government Response
supported by resources such as the District Provision Tool and Complex Needs Toolkits, both of which are resources that allow work coaches (and other frontline staff) to identify and signpost … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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10 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
The Department for Work and Pensions must urgently conduct or commission research to develop its...
The Department for Work and Pensions must urgently conduct or commission research to develop its understanding of the gendered impact of Universal Credit design, including the wait for the first payment; the single household payment structure; joint eligibility assessment; and … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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11 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend the Department for Work and Pensions commit to maintaining the increases in support...
We recommend the Department for Work and Pensions commit to maintaining the increases in support that have been provided during the pandemic until the end of the pandemic, including the £20 increase in standard allowance for Universal Credit.
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12 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We find it implausible that it is operationally impossible to increase the rates of legacy...
We find it implausible that it is operationally impossible to increase the rates of legacy benefits by the equivalent amount of the increase in Universal Credit. We recommend the Government immediately increase legacy benefit rates by the equivalent amount. Read more
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13 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
Appropriate and clear guidance to Jobcentre Plus work coaches is vital, given pre-pandemic research which...
Appropriate and clear guidance to Jobcentre Plus work coaches is vital, given pre-pandemic research which found that mothers subject to Universal Credit conditionality felt that their caring responsibilities were disregarded. We were unable to find specific guidance to work coaches … Read more
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14 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
Job vacancies remain depressed and women with caring responsibilities require targeted job search support.
Job vacancies remain depressed and women with caring responsibilities require targeted job search support. Maintaining mothers’ attachment to the labour market and increasing the opportunities to retrain for jobs in viable sectors is critical. DWP must expand and tailor its … Read more
Government Response
Accept. DWP Work coaches, including the additional 13,500 currently being recruited by the Department, are already actively engaged in helping everyone, including mothers, access the range of support on offer. … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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15 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
While changes to the availability for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) have benefited many, it has...
While changes to the availability for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) have benefited many, it has also thrown into sharp relief the demographics of those who are not eligible, and for whom the level of SSP provides an inadequate safety net. … Read more
Government Response
Reject. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) eligibility is based, in part, on the amount an individual earns per week rather than the amount of hours they are contracted to work. Those … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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16 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We urge the Government to conduct a study to examine the adequacy of, and eligibility...
We urge the Government to conduct a study to examine the adequacy of, and eligibility for, Statutory Sick Pay. Such a study should be published within three months, alongside an equality impact analysis. This should be done alongside our recommendation … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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17 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
Prior to the pandemic, young people faced a number of challenges including relatively high unemployment,...
Prior to the pandemic, young people faced a number of challenges including relatively high unemployment, an overrepresentation in forms of insecure work, and long-term issues of low pay and slow career progression. The Government’s flagship apprenticeship programme, intended to boost … Read more
Government Response
The Committee is right to highlight that occupational segregation by gender remains an issue in the wider labour market and, as an employer-led programme, apprenticeships reflect this. The Government is … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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18 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend that the Government mainstream equality into the design of apprenticeships and worked-based learning...
We recommend that the Government mainstream equality into the design of apprenticeships and worked-based learning and actively challenge occupational segregation by gender. It must publish a gender equality plan for its apprenticeship programme and an action plan to increase the … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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19 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend that the Government establish quotas for women in its Kickstart scheme.
We recommend that the Government establish quotas for women in its Kickstart scheme.
Government Equalities Office
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20 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend that DWP introduce training for Jobcentre Plus work coaches on supporting applicants into...
We recommend that DWP introduce training for Jobcentre Plus work coaches on supporting applicants into gender ‘atypical’ jobs. (Paragraph 80) Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination
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21 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We are gravely concerned by evidence detailing potentially unlawful and discriminatory practices towards pregnant women...
We are gravely concerned by evidence detailing potentially unlawful and discriminatory practices towards pregnant women and those on maternity leave during the pandemic. This should have been better anticipated by the government at the beginning of the pandemic and preventative … Read more
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22 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We urge the Government to introduce legislation in this Parliamentary session to extend redundancy protection...
We urge the Government to introduce legislation in this Parliamentary session to extend redundancy protection to pregnant women and new mothers. The Government must also publish a cross-departmental strategy, following consultation with stakeholders, for dealing with pregnancy and maternity discrimination. … Read more
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23 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
A reliable and affordable childcare system is a prerequisite of a gender equal economy and...
A reliable and affordable childcare system is a prerequisite of a gender equal economy and a gender equal recovery from the pandemic. Yet, the childcare sector could 42 Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact hardly have been in … Read more
Government Response
The Government recognises the extra pressures faced by those balancing work with childcare and home-schooling. We know that much of this falls on women, with ONS figures highlighting that in … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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24 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
Given this backdrop, many childcare providers were vulnerable to the economic turmoil generated by the...
Given this backdrop, many childcare providers were vulnerable to the economic turmoil generated by the pandemic. The Government’s financial support for the sector has not been sufficiently generous nor has it been targeted to the specific needs of providers. Even … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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25 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend the Government publish, by June 2021, an early years strategy which sets out...
We recommend the Government publish, by June 2021, an early years strategy which sets out how childcare provision can best support not only working parents, but also those who are job-seeking and re-training. The review must also consider the feasibility … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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26 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We are concerned that the Government Equalities Office (GEO) did not anticipate how inequalities were...
We are concerned that the Government Equalities Office (GEO) did not anticipate how inequalities were likely to be exacerbated by the pandemic and ensure that it influenced the policy response, including in relation to employment, welfare, childcare and pregnancy and … Read more
Government Response
One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like … Read more
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27 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We were concerned to hear the Minister for Equalities repeatedly refer to considering the effects...
We were concerned to hear the Minister for Equalities repeatedly refer to considering the effects of policies “in the round” in response to questions about the gendered impact of the Government’s policies. We are deeply concerned that a GEO Minister … Read more
Government Response
One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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28 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We believe the GEO must take a more proactive role in mainstreaming gender equality in...
We believe the GEO must take a more proactive role in mainstreaming gender equality in policy development across all Government departments. We urge the GEO and the Minister for Women and Equalities to be much more ambitious in co- ordinating … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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29 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
Robust equalities data is crucial to effective policy responses.
Robust equalities data is crucial to effective policy responses. We have been frustrated by the lack of data disaggregated by sex and other protected characteristics. The lack of intersectional data in large government data sets continues to frustrate meaningful analysis. Read more
Government Response
One of the key goals of the Equality Hub is to ensure the measures the Government takes to ensure fairness are based on evidence. The Hub will consider issues like … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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30 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend the Government require all departments to collect and publish data disaggregated by sex...
We recommend the Government require all departments to collect and publish data disaggregated by sex and protected characteristics in a way that facilitates reporting and analysis on how, for example, gender, ethnicity, disability, age and socio-economic status interact, and can … Read more
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31 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We were disappointed that the Government chose to suspend, rather than delay, gender pay gap...
We were disappointed that the Government chose to suspend, rather than delay, gender pay gap reporting and enforcement for this year. Given the high number of women who have been furloughed or worked reduced hours due to caring responsibilities, and … Read more
Government Response
Due to the unprecedented circumstances currently facing employers, the EHRC announced that employers will have until 5 October 2021 to report their gender pay gap information. The changes for the … Read more
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32 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend that gender pay gap reporting be urgently reinstated, with reporting for the financial...
We recommend that gender pay gap reporting be urgently reinstated, with reporting for the financial years 2019/20 and 2020/21 required in April 2021.
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33 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend the GEO and EHRC explore the feasibility of reporting on parental leave policies...
We recommend the GEO and EHRC explore the feasibility of reporting on parental leave policies in addition to gender gaps in furlough and redundancies for 2020/21 to supplement the information on pay and bonuses. We also urge the Government to … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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34 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
There have been growing calls for ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting.
There have been growing calls for ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. The unequal economic effects of the pandemic have demonstrated the imperative to introduce these measures.
Government Response
Reject disability pay reporting. The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work between 2017 and 2027. Disabled people are … Read more
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35 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
The Government should publish proposals for introducing ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting within the...
The Government should publish proposals for introducing ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting within the next six months.
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36 Conclusion
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
Whilst we appreciate the greater ‘reach’ of the ONS data, the HR1 form would provide...
Whilst we appreciate the greater ‘reach’ of the ONS data, the HR1 form would provide valuable (and complementary) real time data, with which to analyse those most at risk of redundancy before policy decisions are implemented.
Government Response
Reject. The Government does not believe this form is an appropriate way to collect this information. The Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service collect HR1 data and share it with Government … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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37 Recommendation
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coro…
We recommend the Government amend the HR1 form to require information about the sex, race,...
We recommend the Government amend the HR1 form to require information about the sex, race, and if possible other protected characteristics of staff. (Paragraph 146) 44 Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
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Correspondence 1 letter
27 Apr 2021 EHRC response to the Committees report ‘Unequal Impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact’
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