Image copyright PA Image caption The gender pay gap in the UK is over 9% for full-time workers

Businesses, charities and voluntary organisations are being urged to ensure they comply with new rules on tackling the gender pay gap.

Conciliation service Acas has published guidance to offer "practical advice" to firms before the rules come into force.

From April, companies with at least 250 employees will have to publish the differences between men's and women's salaries

ONS figures show the gender pay gap for full-time workers in the UK is 9.4%.

The pay gap, when all types of contracts are taken into account, stands at 18.1%, the Office for National Statistics says.

Acas says the new regulations will affect around 8,000 companies.

'Shining a light'

Acas chief executive Anne Sharp said the new rules gave organisations an opportunity to look at the issue in depth and consider whether they could do more to develop talented women and "secure the benefits of greater gender diversity at all levels".

The advice from the organisation shows the calculations that have to be carried out and the regulations companies will have to follow from April.

Equalities minister Caroline Dinenage said publishing pay gaps would help make them a thing of the past.

She said: "No-one should ever be held back just because of their gender. We now have the lowest gender pay gap on record but we still have to push further.

"Shining a light on the gaps is absolutely key to achieving equality in the workplace."