Pay Gap Analysis

Gender pay gap reporting came into force in Great Britain on 31 March 2017, however, it doesn’t apply in Northern Ireland.

The Employment Act (NI) 2016 introduces an equivalent gender pay gap information-reporting obligation but this hasn’t come into force yet. In anticipation of this we have calculated our gender pay gap, using ACAS guidance.

A gender pay gap is the percentage difference between the average pay of male employees and female employees within a given group. It is different from an Equal Pay Review, which sets out to examine whether males and females are being paid the same (that is, equally) for doing equal work.

As such, no inference can or should be made about equal pay using gender pay gap information. Gender pay gaps can occur where men and women are distributed differently across an institution (that is, where there is occupational segregation).

Both the median and mean calculations are used because they are complimentary metrics and illustrate aspects of the distribution of pay across an organisation.

The median is the midpoint of the range of salaries received, expressed as an hourly rate of pay.

The mean is the overall average of salaries, also expressed as an hourly rate of pay.

In 2023 our median gender gap was 15.2%. The median pay for female staff was £21.77. The median pay for male staff was £25.68.

In 2023 our mean gender pay gap was 14.8%. The mean pay for female staff was £23.40. The mean pay for male staff was £27.47.

The Gender Pay Gap reporting regulations require us to review the gender pay distribution across the University in four equally sized quartiles. These are calculated by listing all employees by their hourly rate of pay, from the lowest to the highest, and then dividing the list into four sections, with an equal number of employees in each section.

The Lower Quartile is predominately comprised of 65.9% females compared with 34.1% males.

Within the Lower Middle Quartile, the gender profile is comprised of 62% females and 38% males.

The gender profile within the Upper Middle Quartile is comprised of 57.6% females and 42.4% males.

There is a slight shift in the Upper Quartile, which is comprised of 44.25% males compared with 55.8% females.

The pay quartile figures show the root cause of our gender pay gap – we have a higher proportion of females in our lower pay quartiles (our lower pay grades) and a higher proportion of males in our upper pay quartiles (our higher pay grades). Whilst the Athena Swan Charter aims specifically to address the under representation of females in senior roles (i.e. Upper Quartile), the “outsourcing” of predominantly male operational roles and the types of jobs available contributes to the over-representation of women in the Lower Quartile.

• The proportion of female staff within the lower quartile range in 2023 was 3.9% less than the proportion in 2022. The number of female staff within this quartile decreased (by n=9 )whereas male staff increased (by n=28).
• The proportion of female staff within the lower middle quartile range in 2023 was 3.9% greater than the proportion in 2022. The number of female staff within this quartile increased (by n=35), whereas male staff decreased (by n=17).
• The proportion of female staff within the upper middle quartile range in 2023 was 0.6% more than the proportion in 2022. The number of female staff within this quartile decreased (by n=24), whereas male staff increased (by n=42).
• The proportion of female staff within the upper quartile range in 2023 was 0.3% greater than the proportion in 2022. The number of female staff within this quartile increased (by n=52), whereas male staff decreased (by n=26).

• The new organisational strategy sets out a commitment around equality, diversity and inclusion, and we are delivering this through a renewed People Plan which sets out actions to continue to narrow pay gaps as they exist across the organisation.
• We have established a Pay Gap Review Working Group, which includes Trade Union colleagues, to consider and address Equal and Gender Pay.
• We are developing an 'Addressing Pay Gaps Strategic Framework Plan 2024-2026', which sets out our commitments to positively impact our gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps.
• We are addressing gender equality through our membership of the Athena Swan Charter, our HR Excellence in Reseach action plan, and by encouraging participation in the Aurora leadership programme.
• To enhance career progression of professional support staff, we have developed a pilot for secondments, ensuring that female staff, particularly at lower grades, are encouraged and supported to take part.
• To reduce biases and promote equity across interview panels, all interviews and promotions panel members must have completed the mandatory EDI training as a minimum.