Getting it right
Last April saw the introduction of mandatory gender pay gap reporting for businesses and organisations with 250 employees or more.
Are you ready for this year’s deadline of 5th April 2019?
If not, fear not, we at Tell Jane are here to help.
The data
Employers with 250 employees or more must calculate and publish
- the mean (average) and median (mid-point) gender pay gap
- the mean and median bonus gender pay gap
- the proportion of men and the proportion of women in the organisation receiving a bonus payment
- the proportion of men and women in each quartile pay band.
The findings
Published gender pay gap results can be accompanied by a statement giving context to figures. It is also a requirement that figures and findings are published on the organisation or company website – that is, for your employees, clients, shareholders, stakeholders and the press to see – so it is important to get this accompanying narrative right.
In the 2017-18 gender pay gap report, 77% of organisations had a pay gap in favour of men, and it is unlikely that this picture will change significantly after one year. However, the expectation that clear and effective strategies for improving the gender pay gap to be in place will be higher.
It is therefore important to provide context to your figures, identify challenges and express actionable points for tackling the pay gap. Indeed, perhaps since publishing year one figures, your organisation has already implemented strategies that promote fair pay and an inclusive workplace – if so, shout about them, you’re demonstrating your commitment to making improvements.
The action plan
You’ve identified a gender pay gap, now it’s time to be proactive.
Gender pay gap reporting provides an opportunity to scrutinise existing models of pay. First and foremost, are you paying your people fairly? If not, why not? Do you have a transparent pay structure?
Reporting also enables you to assess how employees are valued. Who in the organisation is receiving promotions and rewards, and at what value? Do you have an equal representation of genders across all levels of your organisation? How is performance measured and rewarded? Is there a structured and formal promotion process?
Finally, you have the opportunity to analyse employee journeys through your organisation. Are more women entering your organisation at junior levels? What opportunities do they have to progress? Is the progression of employees negatively impacted by caring responsibilities? Is there a disparity in employee retention between genders?
There are various ways in which you can improve the gender pay gap in your organisation. You just need an action plan, and one that is lived, breathed and monitored to ensure its effectiveness.
From promoting shared parental leave, return to work initiatives for new parents, flexible working and job share opportunities to diversity and inclusion training programmes, innovations in recruitment and promotion processes, and even implementing an anonymous reporting employee hotline, our seasoned HR consultants at Tell Jane can support your organisation and your people.
Not sure where to start? Why not get one of our team to help?
Together, we can support you in gathering and analysing data, formulating your report, composing your accompanying narrative and, crucially, help you implement proactive steps for reducing the gap and tackling the cause.
Interested in how Tell Jane can help with your Gender Pay Gap reporting and action plan? Email lisa@telljane.co.uk to find out more.
