9lie`e^ `ealjk`Z\ `e k_\ jgfkc`^_k
THE gender pay gap… It has been described as “appalling”, “obscene”, “absolutely outrageous” and – by Theresa May – as a “burning injustice”.
But what exactly is it? We hear a lot about it but it’s often misunderstood.
Well, for a start, I am sorry to say that the UK is one of the worst offenders in Europe with a typical gender pay gap of 18%.
To put that in the context of an average pay packet, this means some people are earning an extra £5K or so each year just for being male. (It’s not just about Gary Lineker and Kirsty Wark – or Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper for that matter!)
I don’t want to send my male readers off on a guilt trip – but do spare a thought for the ladies.
How would you feel if you went to work every day alongside a bunch of women and found out they all earned more than you for doing the exact same job? My guess is that you might be a little miffed.
But this is maybe a gross oversimplification – because the gender pay gap is NOT just about some men being paid more than some women for doing the same work.
That, being illegal, is a significant factor. But the gender pay gap is a whole lot more complex.
If anything, the routine flouting of the equal pay for equal work regulations muddy the water, obscuring a much more impor- about IT’S not just unfair. what is fair or
It’s about distancing the ourselves from past, errors of the in combating sexism and one of its purest most insidious forms, and promoting in vital diversity the workplace. tant issue – because the gender pay gap is, critically, not just about rates of pay but also about there being too many men in the best-paid jobs and too few women in senior positions.
The higher the rank in an organisation, the fewer women there will be.
And, if the gender pay gap is to be properly addressed, this is definitely the most important – and most difficult – area to tackle.