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Scotland is not 'lagging behind the rest of the UK' on the gender pay gap
Reports today that the gender pay gap in Scotland has increased, unlike in the rest of the UK, show why statistics matter.
Scotland is not 'lagging behind the rest of the UK', as has been reported. The gender pay gap is a complex issue, and there is no definitive way to report a single figure which fully captures those complexities. The Office for National Statistics reports both the mean average and the median average, but gives prominence to the median in its statistical bulletins. The median is the more robust method from a statistical perspective because it isn’t skewed by outliers i.e. very high values and very low values. But any analysis of the pay gap must also look at the mean figure because the extreme values underpin the nature of the pay gap. This is because women tend to be among the lowest paid and men tend to be among the highest paid in the labour market.
Both the mean and median pay gap figures have been consistently lower in Scotland than in the UK since 2010.
Scotland’s mean full-time gender pay gap has continually decreased from 2010 to 2014, except in 2012 when there was an increase of 3.2% which was most likely caused by cuts in the public sector where women’s employment is concentrated.
There is a similar picture when looking at the median full-time figure in that there was a gradual decline, then an increase of 2.6% in 2012. The difference is that the median increased again in 2014 from 7.6% to 9.0%. A closer look at the percentiles shows that the gap at the 90th percentile (the highest earners) has narrowed while the gap at the 10th percentile (the lowest earners) has increased. This means that the gender pay gap between the highest earners has narrowed, but that the gap between the lowest earners has increased. This is deeply concerning because the lowest paid women already experience severe disadvantage in the labour market. They are more likely to be on temporary or zero hours contracts, less likely to receive any training, and are less likely to have any progression opportunities.
A headline pay gap figure can never fully capture the very different experience of the labour market that women have. What it does provide though is an evidence base for policy and practice to address the economic injustice that women in Scotland and in the UK face every day at work.
Read more about calculating the gender pay gap in our annual statistics report.
Exploring the use of positive action
The Forum for Research into Equality and Diversity, based at the University of Chester, are currently undertaking research into the use of positive action in the UK. The research intends to explore the use of the positive action provisions within the Equality Act 2010 by public sector employers in Scotland, England and Wales.
Positive action was first permitted in the UK by the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relations Act, which came into force in the mid-1970s. The scope for action at this time was very limited; however the Equality Act 2010 extended provision.
The general positive action provisions in the Equality Act seek to address disadvantage and under-representation among protected groups in employment, and in society more generally. Positive action measures are permitted if they are a proportionate mechanism to enable people sharing a protected characteristic to overcome or minimise disadvantage; or to meet the different needs of the protected group; or to enable people in protected groups to participate in an activity.
Although legislation specifically provides for and encourages positive action there are very few examples of such initiatives in practice.
The Forum is seeking to gather as many responses as possible, and would encourage public bodies across Scotland to consider taking part. All responses to the survey are anonymous. You can find more information about the survey, and also register to take part, using the link below.
Making Manufacturing Work for Women research launch event
Thursday 25 June 9.45 am – 11.50 am
Radisson Blu, 80 High Street, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH
Close the Gap commissioned University of Strathclyde to undertake research into women and manufacturing. This event will present and discuss the findings of new research which maps women’s participation in the manufacturing cluster labour market in Scotland to identify patterns of occupational segregation, gendered skills pipelines, and gender difference in participation in related Modern Apprenticeship frameworks. The research also examines the impact of women’s participation on pay, and on the gender pay gap within the sector.
Speakers:
Annabelle Ewing, Minister for Youth and Women's Employment
Dr Pauline Anderson and Professor Patricia Findlay, University of Strathclyde
Anna Ritchie Allan, Close the Gap
The full agenda and details on how to book a place are here
Shared Parental Leave
On the 5th of April 2015 new shared parental leave regulations came into force across the UK, which enables parents to share leave over the course of a year following the birth or adoption of a child. Parents can share up to 50 weeks of parental leave, by either taking time off together or separately.
Legislation that allows women and men to share childcare is undoubtedly a positive change. However, while more women are in paid work than ever before, women also continue to do the majority of unpaid caring. 63% of women identified as having the primary responsibility for daily childcare in comparison to only 23% of men.
In order to balance the disproportionate burden of care many women look for part-time work. However, part-time jobs are predominately found in low skilled, low paid roles, with few or no progression opportunities. The part-time pay gap (32% when comparing women’s part-time hourly pay with men’s full-time hourly pay) reflects the financial penalties women experience for working part-time, and currently stands at almost three times that of Scotland’s full-time pay gap. Re-entering the labour market, and career progression after maternity leave were identified as concerns by women in Scotland, with 22% of respondents to a recent study being worried about the impact maternity leave would have on their career.
Shared parental leave has the potential to positively impact on both women’s pay, and progression opportunities after having children. However under previous paternity entitlement 40% of UK fathers chose not to take any paternity leave at all and the take up of additional paternity leave has been extremely low with less than 1% taking advantage of it since it was introduced in 2011. These figures reinforce that it is not only a legislative but also a cultural barrier that must be tackled in order to achieve equality for women. When asked about shared parental leave 30% of men in Scotland thought that it would be good for their partner’s career or career progression, however only 16% thought it would be good for their own career.
There are also a large number of partners who will not be eligible for shared parental leave. This includes individuals whose partner's maternity cover is not enhanced, those disqualified due to length of service with their current employer or who are on temporary contracts. The leave is also very low paid which will impact on the number of partners who will want to take it.
Shared parental leave is undoubtedly a progressive step towards redressing the imbalance of childcare responsibilities. The take-up of it will be crucial in determining what impact it has on women’s equality.
You can find out more about Shared Parental Leave here.
EVENTS: SCOTLAND AND UK WIDE
In this post you will find a selection of up and coming events and programmes relating to gender equality and women's participation in the labour market.
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Close the Gap and CEMVO
Looking To The Future: Race and Equal Pay
Friday 8th May 10.30am to 12.30pm
STUC office in Glasgow
Spaces limited.
Close the Gap and CEMVO are holding a half-day seminar for public authorities to support them in mainstreaming their equalities work on employment under the public sector equality duty. The aim is to provide a specific focus on race and equal pay, as public authorities prepare for publishing equal pay statements on race, including occupational segregation information, in 2017.
The event will provide an opportunity to share some lessons learned with regard to gender, identify some additional issues around ethnicity, and offer some practical solutions for improvement and making progress. This interactive group session will use findings from current research and case studies, and will provide an opportunity for questions and answers.
The seminar will look at:
· Challenges in addressing low disclosure rates
· The current evidence base on BME women’s experience of work
· Lessons learned from work on gender and equal pay
· Practical solutions to common issues on mainstreaming race equality
Lunch will be provided.
Book a place here
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ENGENDER
Gender Matters - Engender Conference 2015
June 4, 2015, 10.30 – 16.00
Scottish Youth Theatre, Glasgow
Join us in Glasgow for our annual conference. As well as hearing about some of the triumphs and challenges in our work for gender equality, this conference will be a chance to shape our priorities for future action. This conference will continue on from the work we have been doing to consult women around Scotland on what changes are needed to improve the lives of women.
It will be a very interactive day where we will be discussing a whole range of issues to do with gender equality and working together to shape Engender's priorities - these will feed in to both our long term work, and into upcoming Holyrood and local authority elections.
Lunch will be provided and a creche will be available - please specify if you will require creche facilities on the booking form.
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EQUATE SCOTLAND
Returning to work webinar
14 May 2015 - 12:00
FREE
Venue: - Your computer!
Host: - Equate Scotland
Returning to work following a career break can be daunting, but with the help of some tools and information you can become more confident about your abilities to take those first steps.
This one hour webinar will get you thinking about how to move forward and will provide you with tips and resources to support you on your way.
The webinar aims to:
Provide a supporting environment by providing tips, resources and stories to normalise the experience of returning to work.
Allow you to consider how your values and strengths can help direct your decisions
Give you some ideas of how to brand and market yourself
- Enable you to feel more confident about what to do next yet.
- This is a career development webinar aimed at women with qualifications in science, engineering or technology, who are looking to return to work following a career break.
Learn to say 'no' effectively
27 May 2015 - 10:00
FREE
Aberdeen City Centre
Host - Equate Scotland
A free one-day course aimed at women who want to be more assertive in their workplace
This one-day course is aimed at women who would like to become more assertive in their workplace. Whether you are already in employment or are actively job-seeking, being assertive is an essential skill to develop your career.
Being more assertive can help improve the quality of your relationships and support you to become more confident and competent.
Find out more about the workshop, or book for this event
Returning to work
10 June 2015 - 10:00
FREE
Glasgow
Host: - Equate Scotland
Get your career back on track after a career break
Returning to work following a career break can be daunting, but with the right tools and information you can get back the confidence in your own abilities to find the position you’re looking for. This workshop aims to enable you to problem-solve issues which are maybe holding you back from attaining your career goals.
The workshop will:
Provide a supportive environment to share experiences with other women about to return to work.
Allow you to reflect on your strengths, where and how you might use them to find a work life balance.
Plan how to brand and market your skills through your networks.
Feel more confident about who you are and what value you can bring to your new role.
Consider the environment and working culture you want to have so that you can integrate your personal life with your career.
Book for this event
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WiRES- Women in Renewable Energy Scotland
WiRES at All Energy 2015
SECC, Glasgow
May 6, 11.00am-12.30pm
WiRES Skills Panel: 11am at Conference Room 3
WiRES is convening a Skills Panel on 6 May, 11.00 – 12.30 at All Energy 2015, providing an excellent opportunity to explore the skills requirements and challenges for the renewable energy industry. Please join us at Conference Room 3 after the Main Plenary session for a discussion with key industry players including EcoConnect, Employer First, the UK Energy Research Centre and the Open University. The session will be chaired by Abbe Brown, WiRES Steering Group Member and Deputy Head of the School of Law at The University of Aberdeen.
WiRES Networking Opportunity: 5pm at stand K29
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WISE - Women in Science and Engineering
A wide range of events across the UK from small workshops through training courses to major conferences. See more information
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