Equal pay - the law and best practice

Under the Equal Pay Act (NI) 1970, as amended, a person who believes they may have an equal pay claim is permitted to ask their employer for information that is or may be relevant to her claim. The questionnaire which must be used is prescribed in the legislation and can be obtained from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

The questionnaire is intended to help individuals who believe they may not have received equal pay to obtain information from their employers to find out whether this is the case and, if so, why.

The information should help to establish key facts early on and make it easier to resolve any disputes in the workplace.

If the complainant decides to take a case to an industrial tribunal, the information should enable the complaint to be presented in the most effective way and the proceedings should be that much simpler because the matters in dispute have been identified in advance.