Bosses could be forced to tell workers what their colleagues earn under equality watchdog plans to tackle pay discrimination

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has called on Parliament to legally require employers to disclose colleagues' pay details to staff who request them, including basic pay, hours, bonuses, overtime and performance-related pay. EHRC chief executive John Kirkpatrick said bosses who base new salaries on applicants' pay history risk embedding historic discrimination into future earnings. The watchdog also wants to ban employers from asking job applicants about their current salary during the hiring process.

The EHRC argues the reforms would particularly benefit women, who face embedded pay gaps rooted in past discrimination by gender, race and disability.

Kirkpatrick told the BBC that while firms can offer competitive salaries, pay-setting must not 'create a pattern that discriminates.'

The Fawcett Society has warned that salary-history questions reward 'perceived worth and negotiating skills' rather than genuine ability.