Men over 50 earn on average 30% more than women of the same age in the UK, the biggest pay gap of any age group, according to a study published Monday.

“Family responsibilities, which continue to fall disproportionately on women, mean that they may not get a raise,” said Stuart Lewis, CEO of Rest Less, an organization representing the interests of those over 50, which published the study.

These missed opportunities “accumulate over time, widening the pay gap” and this “could have disastrous long-term consequences for women’s retirement and later financial independence,” he added, quoted in a statement.

By comparison, young people aged 18 to 21 have an average pay gap of 18%, which narrows to 12% until age 30, before increasing again during their working life, according to the study, which is based on UK figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published in late October.

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The data also shows that the average gross income gap across all ages narrowed by 5 percentage points over the last decade to 19%, but increased again across the country during the pandemic, with the exception of the 50-year-old age group which is a small number. reduce.

Separately, the UK government announced on Monday its intention to increase flexibility in the workplace, specifically to help employees “balance work and personal life”, especially those who are “caring for children or the vulnerable”, according to a release.

Telecommuting, sharing of positions among multiple employees, flexible working hours, distributed throughout the year or compressed into days of the week: according to the reforms that the executive wants to carry out, employees will be able to request adjustments to their jobs from the moment they are hired, without waiting six months as is currently the case.

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Employers will be required to explore available options with their employees before turning down requests for flexibility, and low-paid workers will no longer be bound by exclusivity clauses that prevent them from holding multiple jobs.