The conversation around gender pay inequality in the workplace has led to 40 per cent of working women saying they’d likely quit if they found out a male colleague in the same role was being paid more.
The research conducted by totaljobs to coincide with Equal Pay Day on Saturday 10th November, also showed that there has been positive change since the introduction of Gender Pay reporting in April this year. The new legislation holds companies of 250+ employees to account, requiring them to be open about any gender pay discrepancy and ensuring transparency, and it appears to have benefited women. Nearly half (46 per cent) of workers whose employer is taking steps to reduce the gender pay gap that exists in their organisation said their companies are actively promoting women into leadership or senior role, according to totaljobs’ research.
Whilst the legislation is a great starting point, the gender pay gap remains most prevalent amongst women in senior roles. This shows a systemic issue in senior management across a breadth of UK companies. Totaljobs found that 18 per cent of workers whose employer is taking steps to reduce the gender pay gap, do not actually know what these measures are. The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men and women’s average earnings across an organisation, whereas Equal Pay, covered by the Equality Act 2010, enshrines in law that men and women in the same employment performing equal work must receive equal pay.
The research also found that for businesses that are actively trying to reduce the gender pay gap, almost one third of workers (32 per cent) reported that their employer was improving flexibility for parents – a key way to retain top female talent with family commitments. Furthermore, one third of Brits (33 per cent) said their company is taking steps to reduce unconscious bias for hiring managers, such as teaching self-awareness.
Alexandra Sydney, Jobs Expert at totaljobs, said,
With six months passing since gender pay gap reporting, UK employers have a greater awareness of the issue, and are seeing its impact on their teams, in particular their female employees. A light has been shone on pay inequality, and with data to back it up, women are able to have more transparent conversations regarding pay at work.
It is reassuring to see that more women are actively being promoted into leadership roles. ONS figures released last month announced that the gender pay gap has fallen to its lowest level yet, demonstrating that companies are responding to the pressure applied by the compulsory pay reporting implemented in April. That said, there is still more to be done.
Saturday marks ‘Equal Pay Day’ in the UK, which is a fitting reminder of the challenges female employees continue to face in the modern workforce. Employers must ensure they’re taking appropriate steps to alleviate gender pay gaps in their organisation, in order to foster an inclusive environment and retain top talent. Female employees can tackle the issue of pay head on and shouldn’t be afraid to set up a meeting with their manager or HR department if they feel as though they are being underpaid. They can use industry benchmarks such as our salary checker to support claims of pay disparity.
Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
Aphrodite has had a variety of high profile industry clients as a freelancer, and previously worked for a number of years as an Editor and Journalist for Prospects.ac.uk.
Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
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