Food trade’s pay gap progress

April 5 2018 is going to be an important milestone for many businesses across the country as legislation comes into force requiring organisations with 250 or more employees to report on their gender and bonus pay gaps.

It is going to have a significant impact on almost every sector. However it was recognised by EEF, the body for British manufacturing, that this sector will have more issues than most. The average pay gap in the manufacturing sector is 29 per cent. However, the consensus from those at EEF is that this is more about a lack of young women choosing STEM subjects at school rather than a lack of support or poor conditions for females in the industry. It was therefore refreshing to know that the food and drink industry, which has an increasing need for engineering talent, is working to combat the issue now.

The purpose of this legislation is not to ask who is earning what, but to determine what women are earning compared with men, which is estimated to cost the UK economy 1.3 to 2 per cent of annual GDP.

According to GOV.UK, 126 employers have listed their data publicly – 17 of them are manufacturing companies and eight of these are food manufacturers.

While there are some interesting figures including 50 per cent of food manufacturers reportedly paying higher mean bonuses to women than to men, the largest variances were found in the upper quartile of the eight companies, suggesting an average 42 per cent gap between male and female employee numbers. These initial figures support the need for development and training programmes and apprenticeships, which the FDF has pledged to triple by 2020.

Efforts to focus and promote STEM subjects at schools and inspire more young girls to get involved are already under way. One such programme is Taste Success – a Future in Food, an industry-led campaign engaging with younger generations and academic leaders. The campaign focuses on promoting the exciting job opportunities in engineering that are highly skilled and well-paid. Other policies are being implemented, such as gender responsive teaching strategies and responsive careers counselling, which aim to help students develop their full potential in Stem-related subjects, for example. These could help bridge the gender pay gap, with the upcoming reporting as a catalyst.

The food and drink manufacturing sector is definitely focused on improving prospects for future careers and supporting it with detailed action plans. Also, with the recognition that there is a skills gap and a potential gender pay gap, the food and drink manufacturing industry is proactively working to address inequality – benefiting the economy and adding to the £28.2 billion that the industry currently contributes. ● Alasdair Murray is divisional manager, food and drink, at recruitment firm Eden Scott