LESS than half of people in the North-East region believe that men and women are paid equally, a study has shown.

This spring, companies with more than 250 employees will have to publish any differences in the average pay between male and female employees doing equivalent work.

Ahead of this change, Simpson Millar Solicitors asked people across the North-East and Yorkshire and Humber whether they thought pay was equal between the sexes.

48 per cent of North-Easters thought it was, but 22 per cent of respondents believe men and women are not paid equally.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, just 38 per cent of people surveyed believed pay was equal and 29 per cent thought it wasn’t.

Linda Stewart, head of employment law at Simpson Millar, said: “Sadly but unsurprisingly, our survey found that just 32 per cent of female employees believe men and women are paid the same for equal work in their organisation.

“There is still a wide gender pay gap in Britain and bringing women’s salaries in line with men’s for equal work will take years, if not decades.

“But one thing is for certain; requests for pay adjustments are likely to increase once workers – and women in particular – realise their pay falls short of that received by their male colleagues for equal work.”