Men twice as comfortable about asking for a pay rise as women

Men are nearly twice as likely as women to feel comfortable asking for a pay rise, according to research by totaljobs.

The totaljobs study of more than 4,700 employees and 145 employers shows that on average across all roles, levels, industries and regions, women typically expect to get paid a salary of £25,468, compared to £32,030 for men – a difference of £6,562, that is, 20% less than men. This is likely to be linked to the sectors women tend to work in and their roles within them.

Women are around as likely to ask for a pay rise as men and to receive them (44% of men and 43% of women), but men received an average pay rise of £1,764 compared to just £1,377 for women – a difference of £387. However, most pay rises were not the result of directly asking for them.

Similarly, 43% of men are likely to receive a bonus compared to only 38% of women.  Of those awarded a bonus in the last year, men received an average of £2,059 compared to £1,128 for women, a difference of £931.

The research shows many women are uncomfortable asking for a rise. Three quarters (75%) of women said this, compared to 59% of men.  The study also revealed female workers are generally less aware about workplace financial rewards and how to obtain them, with nearly a third (31%) of women saying that they are unaware of how their current company makes decisions around its salary and pay rises (compared to 26% of men).

There was also a perception gap on gender pay equality. Nearly a quarter of women said they believe their male counterparts are paid more for carrying out the same role. In contrast, 58% of men believe men and women receive equal pay, compared to just 44% of women.

When it comes to employers, only two thirds (68%) had a clear gender pay equality policy and only one third (34%) reviewed salaries across gender to safeguard against gender discrimination. One in five employers are unsure or unconfident that salaries are equal across genders.  Similarly, 24% of men and 29% of women do not believe their company actively promotes equality for all employees regardless of age, gender or other reasons.

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