‘Women less likely to get pay rise’

One in five women who ask for a pay rise is successful in receiving one compared with just under a third of men, according to a large Yougov poll.

The poll of more than 16,000 employees shows that 43% of men asked for a pay rise, with 31% successful, while 33% of women sought a higher wage but just 21% secured a salary increase.

Overall, of the 40% of people who have asked for an improved wage, just over a quarter succeeded. For 18- to 29-year-olds, 18% of men and 16% of women have asked for a pay rise and received one. However, for adults in their 30s, 31% of men who asked for a pay rise were successful, compared with 19% of women.

Meanwhile, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned that UK employers that miss the gender pay gap reporting deadline for a second consecutive year will face “formal” enforcement action, adding that they could also be named and shamed.

The deadline for submissions from the private sector is today. The commission issued warning notices to 1,400 employers that failed to report by last year’s extended deadline, which included a six-month grace period because of the pandemic. Warning notices led to 99% of those employers taking the “steps they needed to comply with the gender pay gap regulations”. Analysis shows that the gender pay gap widened last year. Figures indicate that a woman earned 89p for every £1 that a man earned, on average – meaning that the pay gap widened to 11.1% in 2021, up from 10.6% the year before, 9.5% in 2019 and 9.3% in 2018.  The research found that 38% of organisations had a larger median pay gap than last year. The Fawcett Society has called on the government to create an action plan on how they will improve gender equality in their workplace.

In other pay news,  experts warn that despite the increase in minimum wage rates on Friday – the National Living Wage has risen by 6.6% to £9.50 an hour, while the National Minimum Wage for 21-22 year-olds is up 9.8% and for those in the 18-20 and 16-17 brackets it has risen by 4.1% – cost of living increases are likely to cancel it out.

• Vote  
• 0
• 0
• You already voted!