Gender Pay Gap Report
Background
As an employer with more than 250 employees it is a legal requirement for the University to publish statutory calculations on its gender pay gap (GPG) every year, based on the “snapshot date” of 5th April.
Introduction
The University has reported on the gender pay gap since 2017 with our latest report covering 693 employees, 420 women (60.6%) and 273 men (39.4%) employed during the period ending 5th April 2024. This has changed from the previous years report from 62.3% women and 37.66% of men.
The gender pay gap differs from equal pay: equal pay observes the pay differences between men and women who carry the same jobs, similar jobs, or work of equal value in the same employment, and it is unlawful to pay people so employed unequally because of gender. The gender pay gap, by contrast, shows the differences in the average pay between all men and women across the entire organisation, regardless of the level/grade at which they work; the gender ay gap therefore represents the distribution of men and women in different role at different pay grades.
We continue to make progress in reducing our gender pay gap and have seen a reduction in both the median and mean pay gaps. The median gender pay gap is 25% and has reduced by 4% since our last report in 2023 and by 12% since first reporting in 2017. The mean gender pay gap is 21% and has seen a reduction of 5% since our last report in 2023 and brings us back to the mean gap as reported in 2017.
The ONS provisional figures for 2023 show a Higher Education (HE) median of 10% and a mean of 14.8%.
The University remains fully committed to addressing gender pay gaps over the coming years, recognising that a major factor in reducing the pay gap is achieving diversity of representation, particularly in senior roles at the top quartile.
It is important to note that the report focuses on data as at 5th April 2024. As such there is a time lag between initiatives taken and their effect on the data.
Summary of data
The Gender Pay Gap figures are at the snapshot date of 5th April 2024, and it shows the difference between the average (both the mean and median) earnings of men and women. This is expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings over women’s earnings.
Gender pay gap – snapshot date 5 April 2024
| Gross Hourly Rate of Pay | Male | Female | Difference |
| Mean | £33.93 | £26.36 | 21% |
| Median | £32.32 | £19.78 | 25% |
Our median and mean GPG 2017 – 2024
Hourly pay quartiles
In line with government requirements, the quartiles have been divided into four sections (quartiles) ranked according to their total pay, from lowest to highest. Our lower quartile represents the operational roles including Domestic Services, Apprentices and some administrative roles, part-time roles, and some casual workers, with a significantly higher percentage of females than males in these roles.
Bonus payments paid during the reporting period
There were no bonus payments paid during the reporting period.
Key findings:
- The increase in mean hourly rates for both males and females suggest an overall improvement in pay. However, the gender pay gap prevails, with males still earning more on average than females.
- Pay Distribution:
The upper middle quartile for 2024 has a wider pay range (£24.21 to £47.17) compared to the upper middle quartile for 2023 (£19.91 to £31.77). This means that more females are concentrated in the lower end of the upper middle quartile, resulting in a higher percentage of females in this quartile.
The top quartile for 2024 has a higher pay range (£47.18 to £97.60), which includes more senior and higher-paying roles that are predominantly occupied by males. - Role Distribution:
There are more male staff in the most senior roles compared to female staff. This is reflected in the higher percentage of males in the top quartile.
Female staff are more likely to occupy roles within the lower and middle pay ranges, leading to a higher concentration of females in the lower and upper middle quartiles. - Part-Time Roles:
Part-time roles tend to be less senior and are more prevalent in lower paid roles. Since part-time roles are more common among female staff, this contributes to the higher percentage of females in the lower and middle quartiles. - Job Types:
Certain job types that attract females are concentrated in the lower and middle pay ranges. This results in a higher percentage of females in these quartiles. - Employment Practices:
Overall, the decrease in the percentage of females in the top quartile for 2024 is influenced by a combination of pay distribution, role distribution, part-time roles, job types, and the University’s employment practices. Addressing these disparities will require targeted efforts to promote gender equality and ensure fair representation of both genders across all pay quartiles.
Steps taken to address the gap
Pay transparency
To foster fairness and address the gender pay gap, the University makes pay scales available to all staff through the internal HR SharePoint pages. This ensures that everyone can easily access and understand the structure of each pay band and spine point.
All employees, irrespective of gender, have the opportunity to advance through the grading structure. The University also acknowledges that some roles may be compensated outside the standard grade scales, and processes are in place to ensure these decisions are made fairly and in line with market data.
Job vacancies are advertised with the pay scale included, providing transparency for all applicants (both internal and external) about the expected compensation for the role.
Recruitment
The University is dedicated to improving its recruitment processes to attract a diverse pool of candidates, which is essential for reducing the gender pay gap. Key initiatives include:
- A review of our recruitment advertisements has taken place and have been rewritten using gender neutral language across all written materials.
- Where possible, roles have been advertised internally as secondments to ensure that there is an ability for all staff to improve skills in specific areas.
- Job promotion efforts have been expanded through the use of social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Indeed.
- Diverse interview panels are in place for all positions.
Flexible working
The University continues to adopt flexible working arrangements, balancing the needs and preferences of individual employees with the requirements of their roles, team collaboration, and maintaining a vibrant University community. This flexibility supports a more inclusive work environment, which can help reduce the gender pay gap.
Management and staff development
The University’s People Leadership Programme, Accelerate, has been crucial in promoting fairness and equality. The Programme was initially aimed at managers across the University, but we have now expanded the ability to attend to those who are looking to progress across the University or those who are looking to improve their communication, emotional intelligence, impact and influence and assertiveness skills.
The first cohort of successful applicants who completed the programme consisted of 10 females and 1 male.
The new online Learning Management System now provides a wider range of courses for all staff.
Promotions/regrading and progression processes
The University annually reviews the promotions, regrading, and progression criteria to ensure fairness and transparency. Once finalised these are widely publicised for all staff to access and provides clear opportunities for career and salary progression.
Special circumstances around applications will be clearly addressed to ensure that no applications are hindered, promoting an equitable process for all staff.
By implementing these measures, the University aims to create a more equitable work environment and reduce the gender pay gap.
In the reporting period, a total of 22 females successfully applied for promotion, progression or regrading compared to a total of 6 males.
A Secondment process was implemented to help meet short and long-term work demands and offer valuable opportunities for development by giving colleagues the chance to gain new skills, knowledge, and experience, aiding career progression.
Policies and procedures
The University has reviewed the Equal Opportunities Statement aligning it with current legislation. This is available on the University website.
The Dignity at Work Policy and Procedure has been updated and published on the HR SharePoint site.
The University has implemented a defined hybrid working policy to allow for flexibility of work location.
Future actions
1. Inclusive recruitment
The University is committed to promoting inclusive recruitment and ensuring fair career progression, in line with the positive action principles of the Equality Act 2010. This involves analysing data to identify underrepresented groups in specific roles.
To support positive action recruitment, we will identify training on unconscious bias for all hiring managers and how to recruit in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
The University will further review job adverts to ensure that flexible working, part-time working, and the potential of job shares is offered against the majority of roles.
In 2025 we will be running sessions on the new OneEducation HR & Payroll system, which will include bite-size sessions for line managers on recruitment, to include writing and editing job advertisements that are consistent and gender-neutral.
2. Learning and development
The University has already implemented a range of training courses aimed at all staff levels to enhance key skills and support career progression. Participation and feedback have been positive across all genders, and we plan to continue this approach.
Furthermore, the University will continue to support the “Accelerate People Leadership Programme,” which is designed to develop current and future line managers.
In line with legislative changes, the University will deliver training courses to promote equality of opportunity and emphasize a zero-tolerance policy on sexism and any other forms of discrimination or harassment.
3. Improving HR policies, procedures, and systems
We will introduce procedures to monitor and evaluate the return-to-work rate for employees on maternity and adoption leave. Line managers will receive guidance to help team members reintegrate into the University after extended leave.
Currently, we do not capture data related to ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation pay gaps. The introduction of a new HR system with enhanced data capture and reporting capabilities will support future reporting in line with legislation. However, with the introduction of a new HR and Payroll system at the end of Q2 in 2025, we will have access to more detailed data than we currently do.
By implementing these measures, the University aims to create a more inclusive and equitable work environment, ultimately working towards reducing the gender pay gap.
Conclusion
The University has taken positive steps to improve the gender pay gap, focusing on creating a more equitable work environment. However, the pay gap persists due to the uneven distribution of men and women across the pay structure, particularly the underrepresentation of men in junior roles and women in senior roles.
The 2024 data indicates that a substantial number of female staff are concentrated in the lower and lower middle quartiles. The upper middle quartile, which has a wider pay range, sees more females concentrated at the lower end, resulting in a higher percentage of females in this quartile.
Part-time roles, which are typically less senior and lower-paid, are more common among female staff. This further contributes to the concentration of females in lower-paid roles.
Efforts are ongoing to boost the representation of women at senior levels. These initiatives will continue to show results over time, contributing to a more balanced gender distribution in higher-paid roles.
The University is committed to achieving a greater gender balance across all quartiles. This is being pursued through various initiatives, including transparent recruitment processes, flexible working arrangements, and targeted learning and development programmes.
By maintaining and expanding these efforts, the University aims to reduce the gender pay gap and ensure fair representation of both genders.