Hounslow Council Reduces Gender Pay Gap By Half
But female workers still under-represented in management
Hounslow House, the new HQ of Hounslow Council
Hounslow Council have managed to cut their gender pay gap in half, but female workers are still under-represented in the highest paying roles.
According to a survey carried out last year, female staff are still being paid three per cent on average less, but this was an improvement from seven per cent in 2017.
The council report, presented to the cabinet on Tuesday, said although this compared favourably with the national gender pay gap of 18 per cent, around three-quarters of the London Boroughs have a lower gap than Hounslow.
There were also still fewer women in the top quarter of earners, with fewer men making up the lower 75 per cent.
The council report said the enduring gap created “both the impression and reality of unfairness”.
It read: “It is discouraging to capable and talented women and disagreeable to fair minded men.”
The survey was completed by roughly a third of the female work force – or 479 of the total 1529 female employees.
The report recommended investigation into creating more flexible working, especially in senior posts, to allow for greater work-life balance for those with families.
It was also suggested that a new policy was created to identify female staff capable of assuming more senior roles and new methods developed to encourage female staff to apply for promotion.
More peer mentoring and coaching for female staff was also suggested.
The report states: “Success will be achieved when the difference between the Gender Pay Gap is at zero across all departments.”
Ged Mc Cann, Local Democracy Reporter
April 25, 2019