Women & the SW Economy

The Gender Pay Gap and

Pay Audits

Jackie Longworth, Chair Fair Play SW

Fair Play SW• Region’s Gender Equality Network

– Supported by Equality SW (on behalf of RDA & other funders)– Largely women’s organisations and expert individuals (including men)– Managed by an informal voluntary Board

• Aims:– Gather intelligence on behalf of public authorities and raise awareness

of the impact of unequal opportunities for women and men– Facilitate consultation with women’s organisations– Reduce the gender pay gap in the SW– Influence national, regional and local policy and practice to enhance the

economic and social position of women in the SW

• Methods– Holding events mainly for women and women’s organisations– Responding to national and regional consultations on gender equality– Developing a wide ranging network of regional, sub-regional and local

women and organisations (men and women’s) interested in gender equality

Gender Pay GapDefinitions

• In the UK, women in paid employment earn less per hour than men (on average)

– Women and Work Commission say costs UKplc £23bn– Pay gap % = 100x (average men’s pay – average women’s pay) /average men’s pay– Average can be mean or median; using mean it is 17%, using median it is 23%

(averaged over full and part time workers across UK)

• In the UK, part time workers earn less per hour than full time workers

– Significant part of pay gap due to fact that more women work part time than men– Available part time work is largely in low paid sectors or positions within sectors– High proportion of low paid part time women are more qualified than needed for

the jobs they do.

• Pay gap causes found (by Equal Opportunities Commission) to be:

– 1/3rd discrimination (unequal pay for same work or work of equal value)– 1/3rd job segregation (women steered into low paid sectors)– 1/3rd lack of flexibility in higher paid jobs/ lack of affordable childcare/women’s

cultural responsibility for caring roles as well as paid employment

Gender Pay Gap in the SW

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Causes of the Gender Pay Gap in the SW of England

• Discrimination in employer pay systems• Preponderance of low paid sectors in some parts of the

region with gender segregation into these sectors• Preponderance of sectors with high levels of part time

working at low pay• Lack of opportunities for flexible working in higher paid

sectors• Poor access to affordable childcare, particularly (not

exclusively) in rural areas• Poor availability of higher paid jobs local to many

communities, affecting carers particularly

Possible Solutions – from FPSW Events (and WWC Recommendations)

• Public services to provide for the differing needs of women and men workers– Transport, transport, transport!– Co-location of housing, infrastructure and jobs – importance of single

Regional Strategy being gendered, also RFA– Local jobs for local people– Skills development for women in non-typical careers– Information, advice and guidance to be gendered– Schools extended hours (consultation)– Affordable childcare

• VCS and individuals to make use of the Gender Equality Duty to challenge how public authorities are promoting reductions in the gender pay gap

• Employers to analyse their own internal impact on the Pay Gap – Eg RDA resolve issues – possibly small overall impact– Act as role model for beneficiary employers – possibly huge impact

What does an internal pay gap analysis involve?

• Knowledge - step 1– Identify average pay of men and women by:

• grade, • whether part time, • job sector (if relevant)

– Calculate overall pay gap (mean & median)

• Analysis – step 2– Is any pay gap due to:

• Discrimination within grade?• Discrimination between part time and full time working?• Differences in promotion / job grade for men and women?• Job segregation in sectors?

• Solutions – step 3

Essential Features of a successful pay audit

• Involvement of management, unions and staff

• Commitment to the delivery of solutions (to a realistic timetable)

• Transparency to staff and stakeholders

• FPSW / ESW willingness to help!