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Small businesses can now receive a guide to help them assess their pay structures to ensure they comply with equal pay laws, which may be of interest to those intending to set up a recruitment agency.

The guide has been published as part of a drive to increase transparency of pay in the workplace and thereby to work on reducing the gender pay gap.

It has been released by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Equality and Human Rights Commission, which state that the assessments based on the guide should take just four hours.

Director General of the BCC David Frost said: "Taking action now to make pay systems transparent and fair should help businesses recruit the best talent to enable the private sector to drive economic recovery."

On average, women are paid 16.4 per cent less per hour than men.

A recent survey by Medicash found that more men take sick days from work due to stress, while women reported the most stress-related physical ailments.