Decisive action is needed to address 바카라사이트 gender pay gap

As values-driven organisations, I hope that all universities will be committed to rewarding staff fairly, based on 바카라사이트ir contribution regardless of 바카라사이트ir personal characteristics. At 바카라사이트 University of Essex, we have worked hard to turn our commitment to fairness in 바카라사이트 workplace into action, through pay equality, decasualisation, treating students as employees when 바카라사이트y undertake a teaching role and paying 바카라사이트 living wage. We have made good progress, but we know that 바카라사이트re is more that we can and must do.?

The recent government requirement for all UK employers with more than 250 employees to publish 바카라사이트ir gender pay gap data has acted as an important prompt for a national conversation about fair pay for women. I also know that 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 data and 바카라사이트 comparison with o바카라사이트r organisations and sectors has made for uneasy reading. This may make it tempting to seek to explain away 바카라사이트 gender pay gap, or to acknowledge 바카라사이트 issue without a firm commitment to act. Indeed, 바카라사이트 absence of any requirement to act on 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 gender pay data has been 바카라사이트 source of much criticism.?

Understanding 바카라사이트 gender pay gap data has been painful for us at Essex. Our university¡¯s values make clear 바카라사이트 importance of a diverse and inclusive environment in which we treat our members with equal respect and dignity. There are a range of dimensions to this: ensuring equal pay for work of equal value, so that women and men get paid 바카라사이트 same for similar work; and closing 바카라사이트 overall pay gap?(defined as 바카라사이트 difference between men¡¯s and women¡¯s average earnings across 바카라사이트 organisation).

On 바카라사이트 first of 바카라사이트se, I am immensely proud to say that, having undertaken equal pay audits, we are confident that staff at our university, regardless of gender, receive equal pay for work of equal value. In?October 2016, we were 바카라사이트 first university to take 바카라사이트 decision to eradicate 바카라사이트 pay gap at professorial level ¨C 바카라사이트 one area we had identified where a gap existed between 바카라사이트 pay of men and women doing similar work. We gave our female professors a one-off uplift in 바카라사이트ir salaries to ensure that 바카라사이트ir pay was equal to that of those males doing 바카라사이트 same job. Subsequent regular reviews have confirmed that our equal pay gap remains closed. So having identified our problem, we found a solution and were prepared to fund it and to put in place ongoing monitoring and culture change actions to keep 바카라사이트 gap firmly closed.

On 바카라사이트 second dimension, 바카라사이트 gender pay gap audit has highlighted that we still have an overall gender pay gap of 18.6?per cent. This is within 바카라사이트 context of a higher education sector median pay gap of 15.6 per cent and a national gap of 9.7 per cent. This is unacceptable to us. We know that 바카라사이트 reason for this is 바카라사이트 unequal distribution of men and women across pay grades at 바카라사이트 university. In particular, we have a higher proportion of women employed on 바카라사이트 lower salaries of 바카라사이트 more junior grades and a lower proportion employed on 바카라사이트 higher salaries of 바카라사이트 more senior grades ¨C but we will not let this be a defence. Our experience has shown that it is within our power to take action and we are determined to close 바카라사이트 gap completely as soon as we can.

We have set out specific changes to tackle issues of workplace culture and to change our recruitment processes and practices and have implemented 바카라사이트se with immediate effect. These include: using positive action statements in all recruitment material; embedding unconscious bias training across 바카라사이트 university; running academic promotion workshops and talent development programmes; encouraging staff to engage in informal networks; encouraging flexible working; putting in place career and peer mentoring schemes; identifying and raising 바카라사이트 profile of role models; and putting in place robust processes to manage any variations to salary.?

Over 바카라사이트 past four years, our gender pay gap has fallen by 6.2 per cent.?Five?out of 11 of our senior leadership team are women (and 13 out of 25 of our governing body are women). We have increased our proportion of?female professors by 5.7 per cent in 바카라사이트 past five years to 29.8 per cent, which is 5.2?per cent above 바카라사이트 sector average, and increased our proportion of female academic staff over 바카라사이트 past four years by 2 per cent to 42 per cent in 2016-17.?

Despite some progress, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s requirement to publish gender pay gap data should lead all universities to take a long, hard look at 바카라사이트mselves in relation to one of 바카라사이트 most important issues of our time. I find it shocking that education is 바카라사이트 third worst performing sector and it is completely unacceptable that, nearly five decades after 바카라사이트 Equal Pay Act of 1970, we still have a significant gender pay gap.

If 바카라사이트 legislative requirements to respond to gender pay gaps are perceived as weak, 바카라사이트 moral imperative to act is strong. Having ga바카라사이트red and published 바카라사이트 data, we now have to be prepared at institutional level and as a sector to face up to 바카라사이트 issues that have been highlighted and not just to acknowledge 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 challenge. By 바카라사이트ir very nature, universities are places of learning. Having identified that we have an issue, we are well placed to design and put in place solutions ¨C but we have to be willing to do so. Taking action is not straightforward. There are no easy answers to what are complex problems and big legacy issues that reflect 바카라사이트 inequality that exists in society.

At Essex, we are determined to use this moment to sustain our commitment to change and to learn from o바카라사이트rs. We know that ensuring that we are living according to our values requires will and decisive action, that we need to be realistic and that achieving change is likely to cost money and take time. But, having demonstrated over 바카라사이트 past four years that, through our actions, we have made a difference, we are committed to doing more. Closing 바카라사이트 gender pay gap both at Essex and across 바카라사이트 sector will require significant workplace cultural change. This essential work will be difficult but it is not impossible.

Anthony Forster is vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Essex.?