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| Closing Britain's gender pay gap will take more than David Cameron's audit | Closing Britain's gender pay gap will take more than David Cameron's audit |
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| Britain’s gender pay gap has narrowed in recent years for all the wrong reasons. A report by the Resolution Foundation thinktank in 2012 found that it was a collapse in male wages that accounted for the squeeze. | Britain’s gender pay gap has narrowed in recent years for all the wrong reasons. A report by the Resolution Foundation thinktank in 2012 found that it was a collapse in male wages that accounted for the squeeze. |
| Men working in better paid manufacturing jobs or white-collar middle management found their wages frozen at best and their jobs redundant at worst, dragging down the average pay for their gender. | Men working in better paid manufacturing jobs or white-collar middle management found their wages frozen at best and their jobs redundant at worst, dragging down the average pay for their gender. |
| Women, however, were still working in badly paid areas of the economy while skilled and professional roles remained male-dominated. | Women, however, were still working in badly paid areas of the economy while skilled and professional roles remained male-dominated. |
| The Fawcett Society, which campaigns on gender inequality, says the most up-to-date figures show the pay gap still relates to stereotypes around men’s and women’s roles and their value in the workplace. | The Fawcett Society, which campaigns on gender inequality, says the most up-to-date figures show the pay gap still relates to stereotypes around men’s and women’s roles and their value in the workplace. |
| The latest studies show that women make up 78% of those working in health and social care, a generally low-paid sector, while men account for 88% of those working in the better paid industries of science, technology and engineering. | The latest studies show that women make up 78% of those working in health and social care, a generally low-paid sector, while men account for 88% of those working in the better paid industries of science, technology and engineering. |
| David Cameron believes the problem can be tackled by auditing firms to check on the relative pay of men and women with roughly the same job and title, but a focus is also needed on changing attitudes that exclude women from certain sectors. | David Cameron believes the problem can be tackled by auditing firms to check on the relative pay of men and women with roughly the same job and title, but a focus is also needed on changing attitudes that exclude women from certain sectors. |
| The architecture profession has tried to figure out why it employs so few women beyond their early 30s. The exodus means that few break into the top echelons to bag the largest pay packets. | The architecture profession has tried to figure out why it employs so few women beyond their early 30s. The exodus means that few break into the top echelons to bag the largest pay packets. |
| A 2003 report by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) found women faced a long list of deterrents. They cited unequal pay and long working hours as reasons for quitting. Some mentioned a macho, sexist culture, and others said they felt patronised by a cloying paternalism. More than a decade later, there is still evidence of inequality. | A 2003 report by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) found women faced a long list of deterrents. They cited unequal pay and long working hours as reasons for quitting. Some mentioned a macho, sexist culture, and others said they felt patronised by a cloying paternalism. More than a decade later, there is still evidence of inequality. |
| In 2014, women made up 41% of the profession’s workforce at the most junior rank of a Part I qualified architectural assistant, and the percentage falls steadily as roles become more senior. They account for 35% of qualified architects, 26% of senior architects and 13% of equity partners or shareholder directors. | In 2014, women made up 41% of the profession’s workforce at the most junior rank of a Part I qualified architectural assistant, and the percentage falls steadily as roles become more senior. They account for 35% of qualified architects, 26% of senior architects and 13% of equity partners or shareholder directors. |
| The situation is worse in the 2.3 million-strong engineering profession, where several years of campaigning hasachieved only a 6.7% rate of female participation. | The situation is worse in the 2.3 million-strong engineering profession, where several years of campaigning hasachieved only a 6.7% rate of female participation. |
| Philippa Oldham, a chartered engineer and spokeswoman for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, says women make up 15% of Britain’s engineering graduates but only 1% of chartered mechanical engineers. | Philippa Oldham, a chartered engineer and spokeswoman for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, says women make up 15% of Britain’s engineering graduates but only 1% of chartered mechanical engineers. |
| She says employers need to address the rising costs of childcare and restrictions on flexible working in order to allow women to keep pace with men and maintain pay parity. | She says employers need to address the rising costs of childcare and restrictions on flexible working in order to allow women to keep pace with men and maintain pay parity. |
| An audit could include disclosure of a single overall gender pay gap, or a more detailed breakdown across an organisation by job grade and type that includes the gender ratio in full- and part-time roles. The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has hinted that she favours a banding process, allowing comparison at each pay grade. | An audit could include disclosure of a single overall gender pay gap, or a more detailed breakdown across an organisation by job grade and type that includes the gender ratio in full- and part-time roles. The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has hinted that she favours a banding process, allowing comparison at each pay grade. |
| Either way, employers will likely be able to provide some explanation for the male imbalance alongside the figures, if indeed the audit does discover a gap. | Either way, employers will likely be able to provide some explanation for the male imbalance alongside the figures, if indeed the audit does discover a gap. |
| The Fawcett Society says an audit can be compromised when it focuses on differences within professional grades and does not delve into specific examples in order to get a more nuanced view. | The Fawcett Society says an audit can be compromised when it focuses on differences within professional grades and does not delve into specific examples in order to get a more nuanced view. |
| A spokesperson for the charity says it is aware of employers’ fears that a more sophisticated audit could be time-consuming and expensive, but argues that a more detailed review could still be cost-effective. | A spokesperson for the charity says it is aware of employers’ fears that a more sophisticated audit could be time-consuming and expensive, but argues that a more detailed review could still be cost-effective. |
| Related: The bigger picture behind the gender pay gap issue | Letters from Margaret Prosser and Petra Wilson of the Chartered Management Institute | |
| Hundreds of professional services firms will bid for the business, not least the major accountancy and legal firms that have large employment practices. The consultancy group PwC cautions its clients that they face “reputational damage and negative publicity” unless they carry out a thorough gender pay audit. It adds that the risk of “significant financial damage resulting from employee claims for equal pay potentially going back over six years” is another possible outcome. | Hundreds of professional services firms will bid for the business, not least the major accountancy and legal firms that have large employment practices. The consultancy group PwC cautions its clients that they face “reputational damage and negative publicity” unless they carry out a thorough gender pay audit. It adds that the risk of “significant financial damage resulting from employee claims for equal pay potentially going back over six years” is another possible outcome. |
| Nicola Rabson, the global head of employment and incentives at the law firm Linklaters says: “The most vexing issue was likely to be the level of detail that is required to be published, arguing that a cheaper overall comparison of the pay of an organisation’s male and female employees will provide considerably less information than a job-by-job comparison.” | Nicola Rabson, the global head of employment and incentives at the law firm Linklaters says: “The most vexing issue was likely to be the level of detail that is required to be published, arguing that a cheaper overall comparison of the pay of an organisation’s male and female employees will provide considerably less information than a job-by-job comparison.” |