Mind the [pay] GAP!
Gender pay gap reporting legislation will require large employers to publish their overall mean and median gender pay gaps from 2018. Under the new laws, employers will have to calculate their gender pay gap from April 2017 and publish the details by April 2018.
This week in the news it was reported that the BBC is facing a backlash from female stars over pay after revealing that only third of its 96 top earners are women and the top seven are all men. Labour MP, Harriet Harman, said “The BBC needs to set an example. When you look at the structure and the pay, it is clearly discrimination. Now that it is out in the open, it will have to change.”
So, what exactly is the Gender Pay Gap? The gender pay gap is an equality measure that shows the difference in average earnings between women and men. Used to its full potential, gender pay gap reporting is a valuable tool for assessing levels of equality in the workplace, female and male participation, and how effectively talent is being maximised.
Although it is illegal, some women in the workforce are still paid less than men for the same job – this can happen when a man and a woman are doing the same role and receiving different pay, or where work of equivalent value carried out by women is underpaid.
WORKPLACE HR Advisor, Alison Beal, believes that “At WORKPLACE we pay for the job and not for the person. That way we can recruit fairly and without gender discrimination.”
We found that at the time of the snapshot date on the 5th April 2017 we employ 56% more women than men. This could be due to most of our shifts being carried out either before or after the school run, making it perfect for busy working parents to fit in around their family.
Committing to the Living Wage We are proud of the fact that we pay both our male and female employees the same rates for the same jobs, but wish more of our Clients would commit to the Living Wage. Back in June 2017 we became a Recognised Service Provider, working with the Living Wage Foundation to offer it as option for each, and every request for tender.
According to The Fawcett Society, the UK’s leading charity for women’s equality and rights, “Women are still more likely to be in low paid and low skilled jobs, affecting labour market segregation. 80% of those working in the low paid care and leisure sector are women, while only 10% of those in the better paid skilled trades are women. Feminised sectors tend to be less valued and less well paid – women make up 60% of those earning less than the living wage.”
The London Living Wage is currently £9.75 per hour and covers all boroughs in Greater London. The UK Living Wage for outside of London is currently £8.45 per hour. These figures are set annually by the Resolution Foundation.
WORKPLACE Managing Director, Stephen Guthrie said, “A fair rate of pay results in greater staff productivity, increased motivation and in turn company loyalty. Of course, we need to convince others of the advantages, especially clients who will make their own decision as to whether to choose to pay it. As a responsible, ethical and open-minded business, supporting the Living Wage makes sense within our industry.”
We are pleased to report that our findings have been a lot less controversial than that of the BBC! If you would like to know more please take a look at our results.