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BBC pay review claims 'no evidence of gender bias' BBC pay review claims 'no evidence of gender bias'
(about 2 hours later)
Director general admits BBC has ‘real issues to tackle’ after corporation criticised over lack of transparencyDirector general admits BBC has ‘real issues to tackle’ after corporation criticised over lack of transparency
Graham Ruddick Media editorGraham Ruddick Media editor
Tue 30 Jan 2018 11.52 GMTTue 30 Jan 2018 11.52 GMT
First published on Tue 30 Jan 2018 10.41 GMTFirst published on Tue 30 Jan 2018 10.41 GMT
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A review of on-air pay at the BBC has claimed there is “no evidence” of gender bias in pay decisions at the broadcaster, despite the equality row that has rocked the organisation since last summer. A review of on-air pay at the BBC that claimed there was “no evidence” of gender bias in pay decisions has been fiercely criticised by women at the corporation.
Accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which produced the report, claimed there were “anomalies that need addressing” in relation to pay but blamed this on a lack of structure and openness, and financial constraints in the BBC over the past decade, rather than gender bias. The accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which produced the report, claimed there were “anomalies that need addressing” in relation to pay at the BBC, such as paying too much to a small group of predominately male stars at the top of the organisation. PwC said that “too much weight has been placed on the prominence and profile of certain individuals”.
It also criticised the BBC for paying too much to a small group of stars at the top of the organisation, saying that “too much weight has been placed on the prominence and profile of certain individuals”. However, rather than gender bias the report blamed the problems on a lack of clarity and openness at the BBC as well as the financial constraints it has operated under for the past decade, which has held back the pay of younger stars compared with older generations.
The findings relating to gender are likely to frustrate women who have been campaigning for equal pay at the broadcaster. The report was criticised by the campaign group BBC Women, which said it lacked transparency and did not properly tackle equal pay. PwC focused primarily on news staff and some of the BBC’s best-paid stars in entertainment and sport, such as Graham Norton, Gary Lineker an Chris Evans, have been excluded.
A long-awaited analysis of the pay of 824 on-air stars by accountancy firm PwC. This was promised following the backlash to the publication of the BBC’s pay list last summer, which showed that two-thirds of its best-paid on-air stars were men.
It says there is "no evidence" of gender bias but acknowledges "anomalies" that may create the impression of gendered unfairness. The BBC has set out a five-point plan for resolving the issue including new criteria for pay decisions and greater transparency.
No, far from it. The BBC Women campaign group says the report lacks transparency and does not properly tackle equal pay, partly because it does not say which employees and roles it is specifically comparing. Other critics have accused the BBC of obfuscating about the pay row.
Tony Hall, the director-general of the BBC, will be questioned by MPs on Wednesday about the pay row. Carrie Gracie will also appear after resigning as the BBC’s China editor in protest at its “secretive and illegal” pay culture. Beyond these hearings - which promise to be fiery - the BBC will consult will staff about its new proposals before they are finalised. It faces a collective grievance about pay inequality led by the National Union of Journalists.
“There’s been no transparency on which individuals were included or why,” said BBC Women, which represents more than 170 presenters and producers including Jane Garvey, Mishal Husain and Victoria Derbyshire, in a statement.
“The BBC has chosen who to compare with whom, and what factors justify any gaps in pay. The only mention of equal pay in the letter of engagement with PwC refers to an ‘assessment of equal pay risks’.
“We hope today’s commitment from the director general to put equality at the heart of what the BBC stands for results in swift and meaningful change for women in all roles and at all levels at the organisation.”
A spokesperson for the Women’s Equality party called for the media regulator Ofcom to investigate the BBC. “The latest claim that there is no gender bias in the BBC’s pay system flies in the face of the experiences of women who work at the corporation, they said.
“The attempt to cast cases of unequal pay as ‘anomalies’ and ‘pay unfairness’ shows that the BBC has yet to take responsibility for the problem.”
Although PwC said there was no evidence of gender bias at the BBC, it added that in some cases when it approached the broadcaster about the reasons for differences in the pay between a man and a woman “the objectively verifiable evidence available was more limited”.Although PwC said there was no evidence of gender bias at the BBC, it added that in some cases when it approached the broadcaster about the reasons for differences in the pay between a man and a woman “the objectively verifiable evidence available was more limited”.
The methodology of the PwC report will be scrutinised given that women at the BBC have already said they have no confidence in it and that they have been excluded from the process. The accountancy firm admits in the report that the analysis is “not, and nor is it intended to be, a comprehensive review of the pay of each and every individual employee” and that the conclusions “should not be read as concluding that there are no individual potential equal pay issues within the BBC”. The methodology of the PwC report will be scrutinised given the accountancy firm admits that the analysis is “not, and nor is it intended to be, a comprehensive review of the pay of each and every individual employee” and that the conclusions “should not be read as concluding that there are no individual potential equal pay issues within the BBC”.
In response to the report, the BBC said on Tuesday it had already resolved more than half of 230 individual cases raised so far relating to pay equality and would deal with the rest by the summer.In response to the report, the BBC said on Tuesday it had already resolved more than half of 230 individual cases raised so far relating to pay equality and would deal with the rest by the summer.
The broadcaster also revealed a five-point plan designed to fix issues raised by the PwC report, which revolves around being more transparent about what it pays staff.The broadcaster also revealed a five-point plan designed to fix issues raised by the PwC report, which revolves around being more transparent about what it pays staff.
The plan includes pay cuts for some high-profile men as well as pay rises for some male and female presenters, a new criteria for pay based on skills, experience and audience impact, publishing the pay range for “virtually every job” at the BBC so that staff know what their peers are being paid, a review of career progression and working practices for women, and acceleration plans to achieve a 50/50 representation of men and women at the BBC by 2020.The plan includes pay cuts for some high-profile men as well as pay rises for some male and female presenters, a new criteria for pay based on skills, experience and audience impact, publishing the pay range for “virtually every job” at the BBC so that staff know what their peers are being paid, a review of career progression and working practices for women, and acceleration plans to achieve a 50/50 representation of men and women at the BBC by 2020.
Six high-profile male presenters have already agreed to pay cuts, including John Humphrys, Jeremy Vine and Nick Robinson.Six high-profile male presenters have already agreed to pay cuts, including John Humphrys, Jeremy Vine and Nick Robinson.
However, even the proposed pay rises are likely to be controversial. The PwC report shows the BBC has identified 188 individuals who could get a pay rise, but 98 of these are men and 90 are women.However, even the proposed pay rises are likely to be controversial. The PwC report shows the BBC has identified 188 individuals who could get a pay rise, but 98 of these are men and 90 are women.
Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, said: “Today’s report does not find evidence of gender bias in decision-making, but it shows that we have real and important issues to tackle, particularly in some areas of news and current affairs, and I’m determined to get it right. The plans we’re setting out today go further and are more important steps in modernising the BBC and making it fairer.Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, said: “Today’s report does not find evidence of gender bias in decision-making, but it shows that we have real and important issues to tackle, particularly in some areas of news and current affairs, and I’m determined to get it right. The plans we’re setting out today go further and are more important steps in modernising the BBC and making it fairer.
“We’ve already made an important start. We’re addressing unfairness in individuals’ pay and want to close the gender pay gap and have women in half of our on-air roles by 2020. Those are big, bold commitments I’m really serious about.”“We’ve already made an important start. We’re addressing unfairness in individuals’ pay and want to close the gender pay gap and have women in half of our on-air roles by 2020. Those are big, bold commitments I’m really serious about.”
The pressure on the BBC was cranked up ahead of the publication of the report.The pressure on the BBC was cranked up ahead of the publication of the report.
In evidence submitted to MPs on the influential DCMS committee ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, the BBC Women campaign group called for an apology, back pay and pension adjustments from the BBC for breaking equality laws. In evidence submitted to MPs on the influential digital, culture, media and sport committee ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, BBC Women called for an apology, back pay and pension adjustments from the BBC for breaking equality laws.
BBC Women, which is made up of more than 170 presenters and producers including Jane Garvey, Mishal Husain and Victoria Derbyshire, submitted 14 examples of women being paid less than men for the same job or being on inferior contracts without benefits such as sick pay or maternity leave. The written evidence claimed there had been “veiled threats to female staff about the subject of equal pay, saying: “While individual BBC managers have been supportive there is still a bunker mentality in some quarters and women have experienced veiled threats made against them when they raised the subject of equal pay.” The PwC report analysed 824 on-air staff at the BBC on news, radio, the world service, local news and sport. It found there was a gender pay gap of 6.8% in this group, lower than the 9.3% for the rest of the BBC, but that there were more men than women in the upper half of the pay distribution.
The PwC report analysed 824 on-air staff at the BBC on news, radio, the World Service, local news, and sport. It found there was a gender pay gap of 6.8% in this group, lower than the 9.3% for the rest of the BBC, but that there were more men than women in the upper half of the pay distribution.
The accountancy firm also identified significant fluctuations among the 168 top stars. There is a 9% pay gap between male and female presenters on the main news bulletins, Today, and radio news and a 20% gap in TV specialist news, news-related magazine shows on radio, and rolling radio news. A 23% pay gap in favour of women was found among senior correspondents.The accountancy firm also identified significant fluctuations among the 168 top stars. There is a 9% pay gap between male and female presenters on the main news bulletins, Today, and radio news and a 20% gap in TV specialist news, news-related magazine shows on radio, and rolling radio news. A 23% pay gap in favour of women was found among senior correspondents.
PwC said it had found that where there were differences between men and women in the same role it was “typically driven by material and justifiable factors unrelated to gender”, such as level of experience, skills and “market influences”.PwC said it had found that where there were differences between men and women in the same role it was “typically driven by material and justifiable factors unrelated to gender”, such as level of experience, skills and “market influences”.
In its conclusion, PwC said that it had found no evidence that pay decisions it examined were based on gender, but added that in some cases too much weight was being placed on the profile of individuals.In its conclusion, PwC said that it had found no evidence that pay decisions it examined were based on gender, but added that in some cases too much weight was being placed on the profile of individuals.
It went on: “In some cases, this apparent unfairness has been interpreted by individuals as unlawful gender bias in the setting of pay. We have found no evidence of this, but the BBC’s lack of consistency and transparency has fed these perceptions and the BBC needs to work hard to rebuild trust and ensure transparency and consistency as it moves forward.”It went on: “In some cases, this apparent unfairness has been interpreted by individuals as unlawful gender bias in the setting of pay. We have found no evidence of this, but the BBC’s lack of consistency and transparency has fed these perceptions and the BBC needs to work hard to rebuild trust and ensure transparency and consistency as it moves forward.”
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