The Scottish Government is an equal opportunities employer and all staff should be treated equally irrespective of their sex, marital/civil partnership status, age, race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief, working pattern, employment status, gender identity (transgender), caring responsibility, or trade union membership, and receive equal pay for doing equal work or work of equal value.
With this in mind the Scottish Government will operate a pay and reward system which is transparent, based on objective criteria and free from bias.
In support of this commitment to equal pay, the Scottish Government will:
- examine existing and future pay practices for all staff to ensure that they comply with best equal pay practice
- carry out regular monitoring of the impact of these practices
- inform employees of how these practices work and how their pay is arrived at
- provide training and guidance for those involved in making decisions about pay and benefits
Through this action, the Scottish Government will aim to avoid unfair discrimination in its pay and reward system, to reward fairly the skills, experience and potential of all staff and act as a model employer for other organisations in Scotland.
This equal pay policy statement has been agreed with the Council of Scottish Government Unions.