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如果发现做同样工作的同事比你挣得多得多，你能查证吗？在英国，这往往很难。英国平等与人权委员会（EHRC）在回应政府同酬法律改革方案时建议：员工应有法定权利了解做类似工作的同事的薪酬。文章先用英国国家统计局的数据说明性别薪酬差距仍然存在，再解释 EHRC 为什么认为“不透明”是问题的一部分；接着介绍两类具体建议：一是恢复 2014 年被取消的同事薪酬问询权，并要求雇主限期答复；二是招聘时公布薪资或薪资范围、禁止询问求职者过去的工资。最后交代边界：这些仍是提案，政府尚未宣布决定，欧盟类似规定的效果也还没有数据。阅读时可留意 As a result、because、However 等词如何串起原因、做法和局限，以及 considering、supports、wants 等词如何表明这些只是建议而非已生效的规定。

正文

Imagine finding out that a colleague who does the same job as you earns much more. In the UK, this is often hard to check. Now the country’s equality watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), says workers should have a legal right to know what colleagues doing similar work are paid. According to the Guardian on October 28, the advice was part of its response to government plans to reform equal pay laws.

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想象一下，你发现一位和你做同样工作的同事挣得比你多得多。在英国，这种情况往往很难核实。如今，英国的平等监管机构——平等与人权委员会（EHRC）表示，员工应当有法定权利了解做类似工作的同事的薪酬。据《卫报》10 月 28 日报道，这一建议是该机构对政府同酬法律改革方案所作回应的一部分。

Equal pay for equal work has been the law in Britain for decades, but a gap remains. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that, as of April this year, women in full-time work earned 6.8% less than men on average. In some industries the gap is much wider. In finance, for example, it is between 22% and 24%, depending on how it is measured.

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同工同酬在英国成为法律已有几十年，但差距依然存在。英国国家统计局的数据显示，截至今年 4 月，全职工作的女性平均比男性少挣 6.8%。在一些行业，差距要大得多。例如在金融业，根据计算方式不同，差距在 22% 到 24% 之间。

The EHRC believes that secrecy is part of the problem. It says that when pay rules are unclear, women are less likely to ask for a higher starting salary or a pay rise. They are also less likely to learn about pay through informal conversations with other workers. As a result, they often start on lower salaries.

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EHRC 认为，薪酬保密是问题的一部分。该机构说，当薪酬规则不清楚时，女性更不太可能争取更高的起薪或加薪。她们也更不太可能通过与其他员工的非正式交谈了解薪酬情况。因此，她们的起薪往往更低。

The government is considering making employers answer staff questions about colleagues‘ pay. A similar right existed before, but it was removed in 2014 to reduce paperwork for businesses. The EHRC wants the new forms to cover a colleague’s yearly salary, working hours, bonuses, overtime and job description. It also says employers should have to reply within a fixed time, because otherwise they “may delay, provide evasive responses or avoid responding.”

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政府正在考虑强制雇主回答员工关于同事薪酬的问询。类似的权利以前就有，但在 2014 年为减少企业的文书负担而被取消。EHRC 希望新的问询表能涵盖同事的年薪、工作时长、奖金、加班费和岗位描述。它还表示，雇主应当在规定时间内答复，否则他们“可能拖延、给出含糊其辞的答复或干脆不答复”。

Hiring is the other focus. The watchdog supports a plan to make employers publish a salary or a pay range in job adverts, or tell candidates before an interview. It also wants to stop bosses from asking applicants about their current or past salary. At present, companies may ask, although applicants do not have to answer. The worry is that a low salary in one job can follow a person to the next one.

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招聘是另一个重点。该监管机构支持一项方案：要求雇主在招聘广告中公布薪资或薪资范围，或在面试前告知应聘者。它还希望禁止老板询问求职者目前或过去的工资。目前，公司可以询问，但求职者不必回答。人们担心的是，一份工作中的低薪可能会跟着一个人到下一份工作。

The EHRC argues that clearer information could also help companies, because pay disputes could be settled early instead of going to an employment tribunal. However, these ideas are still proposals. The public consultation closed on October 27, and the government has not yet announced its decision. Countries in the European Union have been required to bring in similar rules since June, but the EHRC notes that there is no data yet on how well they work.

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EHRC 认为，更清楚的信息也可能对公司有帮助，因为薪酬纠纷可以及早解决，而不必闹到劳动仲裁庭。不过，这些想法目前仍只是提案。公众咨询已于 10 月 27 日结束，政府尚未宣布决定。欧盟国家自 6 月起已被要求实施类似规定，但 EHRC 指出，目前还没有数据说明这些规定效果如何。

新闻来源

• The Guardian · Give UK workers right to know colleagues’ pay to prevent disparities, says watchdog (28 Oct 2026)
• EHRC · Equal pay and pay discrimination consultation: our response (Oct 2026)
• HR Magazine · EHRC supports proposed ban on asking about salary history (28 Oct 2026)
• GOV.UK · Equal pay and pay discrimination consultation (14 Jul–27 Oct 2026)

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