The Gender Justice Gap

According to recent data, women are over 3 times less likely than men to claim compensation for personal injury caused by a work-related injury or illness.

Data produced by the Health and Safety Executive states that over the past 3 years, an average of 474,000 per women per annum suffered a work-related illness or injury which led to over 7 days absence from work, compared to just 403,000 men.

However, statistics obtained by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers from the Compensation Recovery Unit, to which work-related claims are reported, show that between 2019 and 2022, there were an average of just 13,960 employers’ liability claims made by women per annum compared to 36,856 made by men.

By comparing these two sets of data, it appears to indicate that whilst 54% of injuries or illnesses caused by or at work happen to women, they account for just 27% of employers’ liability claims made for compensation.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers had dubbed this as the ‘Gender Justice Gap’.

The reason why far fewer women are making claims for compensation from their employers is uncertain.  It could be that women are more fearful generally of suing employers, particularly when they have secured in demand part-time roles which offer good work/life balance.  Another reason for the Gender Justice Gap could be that more women are less severely injured than men, due to fewer working in heavy industry, which may lead to a reluctance to embark upon litigation. Another explanation, which has been put forward by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, is that research examining the link between workplace environments and industrial disease has traditionally focused on male-dominated industries, making it more challenging for women in female-dominated roles to hold their employers to account. 

Whatever the reason for the reluctance of women to sue their employers, it is important that they do seek legal advice and obtain the compensation to which they are entitled.  This will not only benefit injured women on a personal level but will encourage their female peers in a similar situation to also take the first step to seeking redress for illness or disease caused by poor working environments or injuries caused by poor working practices. It is by making claims for compensation and focusing attention on the dangers at work, that workplace environments in traditionally female-dominated employment sectors will improve.

At Barker Son & Isherwood LLP, we offer a free initial consultation to anyone seeking to make a claim against an employer for an accident at work, and we are able to offer no win, no fee type funding arrangements for claims with prospects of success.  If you have had an accident at work and need legal advice, then please contact our Head of Personal Injury, Deborah Lewis, who would be pleased to help you take that important first step towards securing a compensation award.

You can contact Deborah on 01264 325850 or by email at dlewis@bsandi.co.uk.