Employers still find value in job evaluation

JOB EVALUATION

The use of job evaluation remains popular among UK employers, often with a view to avoiding costly equal pay claims, according to a survey by IRS.

The survey of 162 organisations found that half of respondents (49%) operate a job evaluation scheme. What's more, IRS says there was "considerable interest" among those respondents who do not currently operate a scheme -- 25 of the 83 organisations without job evaluation say they have plans to introduce a scheme in the future.

But what is most striking is that more than four in ten employers now use job evaluation to help conduct equal pay audits.

What you will find in this IRS report

The IRS research is published in two parts. The first part, spread across eight pages in issue 790 of IRS Employment Review, includes:

an overview of the job evaluation arrangements in place in 79 named organisations
reasons for using the technique
a brief guide to the different types of scheme.

Part two, scheduled to appear in a forthcoming issue of IRS Employment Review, looks at how employers are using job evaluation.

Key research results:

Analytical schemes are used by the overwhelming majority of employers -- around 86% of those using job evaluation.
Most employers opt for a proprietary scheme -- 65 of the 79 employers surveyed with job evaluation.
In almost three-quarters of organisations a single scheme is in use.

Want to know more?

Title: "Employers value job evaluation", IRS Employment Review 790 /Employment Trends, 19 December 2003.

Methodology: A questionnaire was sent to 1,000 organisations in October 2003.

Sample size: The survey was based on responses received from 162 organisations in the UK, employing a total of 300,000 employees.

Business sectors: Among the 79 organisations which use job evaluation, 46 were from the private sector, while 33 were from the public sector.

Availability: Contact the subscriptions department at Industrial Relations Services, tel: 020 8662 2000, or email: customer.services@lexisnexis.co.uk.

To find our more about IRS Employment Review visit www.irsemploymentreview.com

Posted 26 January 2004