Bb See: Transparency Legislation And Public Discussions Of Wage Inequality

Disparities in compensation persist between men and women. Wage transparency, which enables workers to compare their compensation to what others receive in their organization, can be an important tool for redressing specific intra-firm disparities tied to discriminatory processes. Drawing on newspaper reports about gender pay differentials, we provide the first analysis of whether a public disclosure of pay transparency corresponds to a shift in broader public discourse, as represented by news coverage. Thematic analysis of newspaper coverage of the gender pay gap in Britain before and after the high-profile release of BBC wage data in 2017 reveals a shift from choice-based explanations to those emphasizing structural inequality and discrimination. The findings suggest that wage transparency coupled with news media attention may not only identify inequitable pay in firms, but also work more broadly to create space to discuss discriminatory practices and redress for pay disparities.