Working towards equality: the gender pay gap

This week new data emerged showing the true extent to which women are paid less than men in the UK.

All British companies, voluntary organisations and public sector bodies with more than 250 employees had to report the difference in average hourly pay between the genders by 4th April 2018. The figures are all handily accessible via a page on the UK government website, along with reports from the organisations. They show that in nearly 8 out of 10 cases, men are paid more (as reported by the Guardian). The average pay gap is currently reported at 9.8% and many companies are reporting far larger gaps in pay between the genders. Some are now in breach of the law by refusing to publish their data.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

I can’t say I am surprised by this information and frankly it’s depressing af! However, the official stats add value by bringing transparency where it was previously lacking. People can and do deny systemic inequality based on anecdotal feedback, but as we all know, you can’t argue with data. Much debate will follow on why equal pay isn’t happening. One of the key reasons is the lack of representation of women in senior leadership roles. These tend to be the higher paying roles, as well as the roles where decision-making that impacts company strategy and culture are made. Therefore…