With just 6 weeks to go for employers to publish their 2022/23 gender pay gap data, less than one in seven of employers have actually done so, so far.
Gender Pay Gap Data
The deadline for public sector employers to report their gender pay gap data will be the 30th March 2023, with a snapshot date of the 31st March 2022. For private sector employers and voluntary organisations, the deadline will be the 4th April 2023, with a snapshot date of the 5th April 2022.
Of the approximately 11,000 employers who are required to report their gender pay gap data, as at the 12th February 2023, just 1526 of employers have done so (equating to just 13.87%). Hence, with just 6 weeks to go before the deadlines expire, over 85% of employers have left their reporting very late.
Historically, nevertheless, employers have left their gender pay gap data reporting late. For the 2018/19 reporting year, for instance, as at the 24th February 2019, just 1251 employers had reported their data.
Enforcement
Those employers who fail to submit their gender pay gap data on time face enforcement action. Private sector employers are subject to investigation under section 20 of the Equality Act 2006, and are then issued with an unlawful act notice. If they fail to comply with the notice, then the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) can apply for a court order requiring them to do so. Should the employer breach that court order, then this is punishable upon conviction with a level 5 (unlimited) fine.
Furthermore, once a case reaches the investigation stage, then details are published on the EHRC’s website at the start of the investigation. In the 2018/19 reporting year, for instance, 47 employers were named and shamed in this manner
28 Employers Named And Shamed
The final report that the EHRC produces is also published on their website.
In the 2021/22 reporting year, 28 employers were named and shamed and had their details published on the EHRC website.
Last Years Data
Analysis of the 2021/22 gender pay gap data found that compared to the 2020/21 reporting year, the median gender pay gap in terms of hourly pay had narrowed from 10.2% to 9.8%. The mean pay gap in terms of hourly pay, moreover, fell from 13.9% to 13.6%.
Findings From Early Data
Early data from the marketing sector has found that the gender pay gap has increased from 12.6% in 2021/22 to 16.5% in 2022/23. Nevertheless, the gap is substantially down from 2019/20, when it was 28%.
Marketing Sector
In terms of the 2022/23 gender pay gap in the marketing sector, the gap is at its highest amongst the most senior personnel, with a gap of 18.6% amongst executives and senior executives. Below executive level, however, the gap is lower:-
- Marketing director/vice-president - 12.8%
- Senior managers/department managers - 8.1%
- Managers - 7.2%
- Junior managers - 10.6%
Reaction
Commenting upon the marketing sector findings, Helen James for Marketing Week contends that: "The findings reveal that on average female marketers working full-time are paid 16.5% less than their male counterparts, up from 12.6% in last year’s survey. Yes, the figure is well below the level seen in 2021 (23%) and pre-pandemic in 2020, when it was 28%. But it’s still a number that is precisely double the gender pay gap across all full-time workers in the UK."
James adds: "Although the short-term impact of the pandemic has been to increase the gender pay gap, in the longer term I’m optimistic that we’ll see a Covid dividend. Mass remote working that enables ‘flexibility by default’ for many senior roles now – and signs that the advertising of roles with flexible working options leads more women to apply than men – are helping employers attract female talent. This all bodes well, but we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball."
