Agenda item

To consider Item 6

The HR Advisory and Development Manager advised Members that as an organisation, the Authority had a duty to carry out gender pay gap reporting, and to publish six pieces of prescribed data about the pay and bonuses of male and female employees on an annual basis by 30 March. The snapshot date for public sector employers was 31 March each year, and the data presented within the report, was based on data as at 31 March 2021.

The HR Advisory and Development Manager advised Members that the gender pay gap showed the difference between the average earnings of males, compared to females, irrespective of role or seniority. It examined the difference in the average pay gap, expressed as a percentage of male earnings.  It was important to note that a gender pay gap was not unlawful and the presence of a gender pay gap does not mean the Authority was discriminating against groups of individuals. A gender pay gap was a reflection of a workforce profile at a specific time, i.e. the snapshot date.  In comparison, equal pay was a legal obligation and about unequal rewards for male and females carrying out the same job, similar job or work of equal value, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

Organisations can have a gender pay gap without breaching equal pay provisions, and the Authority’s gender pay gap was not as a result of any equal pay issues

The HR Advisory and Development Manager advised Members that this was the fifth year of undertaking gender pay gap reporting. And for 2021 both the mean (average) and median (mid-point) gender pay gaps had decreased, which was positive, and took the Authority’s gender pay gap 1.6 percentage points below the UK national average for 2021, which was 15.4 per cent. Both the mean and median gender pay gaps for 2021 were the lowest since first reporting in 2017.

For 2021, the mean gender pay gap had decreased by 5 percentage points from 2020, to 13.8 per cent (from 18.8 per cent) and the median gender pay gap had decreased by 6.3 percentage points from 2020, to 9.0 per cent (from 15.3).

The gender pay gap report had highlighted that the Authority continued to have a gender pay gap. However, figures were not expected to reduce significantly within the short to medium term, as the issues driving gender pay gaps required a longer-term commitment.

The HR Advisory and Development Manager advised Members that the gender pay gap was generally caused by underrepresentation of female employees in higher paid or senior roles. In order to lower the gap, attention must be paid to the recruitment, retention and development of females into those areas, and a range of strategies adopted to support this. It was positive to note, that 2021 had seen an increased representation of females in senior roles, with this year seeing the highest representation since first reporting in 2017. A number of key areas of activity to lower the gender pay gap had been identified, as detailed in the action plan within the report. Whilst the foundations for improvement had been laid through these initiatives, and progress was being made, it would be several years before there was a significant impact on gender parity within pay. The Authority would continue to strive to increase gender diversity in all areas of the organisation and lowering the gender pay gap.

RESOLVED –

That the content of the Gender Pay Gap Report 2021 be noted and approved for submission to the Governments website (gov.uk) as per reporting requirements.