Equal pay for women managers still five decades away

GENDER PAY

Equal pay for women managers still five decades away

UK businesses are still more than five decades away from paying men and women equally, according to a report by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and XpertHR.

The 2010 National Management Salary Survey shows that female salaries increased by 2.8% over the last 12 months, compared to 2.3% for men. But data collected from 43,312 individuals in 197 organisations reveals that male pay outstrips female pay by as much as 24% at senior level.

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The report says: “With the average UK salary for a male manager currently £10,071 more than that of a female manager, women face a 57-year wait before their take-home pay is equal to that of their male colleagues.”

Key findings

  • Even at junior level the gap still persists with male junior executives receiving £1,065 more than female executives.

  • Across the regions, women in the Midlands fare the worst, taking home £10,434 less, while those in the North East fare the best, where the gap is smallest at £8,955.

  • Looking at different industry sectors, female executives would do well to bear in mind when accepting roles in either IT or the pharmaceutical industry that the pay gaps here are higher than any other sectors, at £17,736 and £14,018 respectively.

A final word

“Girls born this year will face the probability of working for around 40 years in the shadow of unequal pay. The prospect of continued decades of pay inequality cannot be allowed to become reality. We want to see government take greater steps to enforce pay equality by monitoring organisations more closely and naming and shaming those who fail to pay male and female staff fairly. It’s not just government that needs to act. Competitive businesses need to attract diverse workforces and appeal to the most talented employees. To do this, managers and employers need to recruit from a wide talent pool but they cannot expect to attract the UK’s best female talent if they continue to undervalue it.” - Petra Wilton, Head of Policy, Chartered Management Institute.

--> To help female staff challenge inequality in their own workplaces and further their careers, CMI has launched the “Ambitious Women” toolkit, available at www.managers.org.uk/glassceiling, and an “Ask the Expert” service for specific questions relating to equality and diversity. The toolkit contains practical advice for women on issues including how to ask for a pay rise and challenge unequal pay, skills development and returning to work after maternity leave. There is also information to help employers offer better support to women workers and cultivate female talent.

Want to know more?

Title: 2010 National Management Salary Survey, published by XpertHR in association with the Chartered Management Institute.

Availability: To subscribe to the salary survey visit www.xperthr.co.uk/job-pricing/about/man_n09/jobpricing-b-01-national-management.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the “only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of management and leadership excellence.” To find out more visit www.managers.org.uk.

XpertHR is a “unique online service providing indispensable information and support for HR professionals.” To find out more visit www.xperthr.co.uk.