Flexible work should be made the default to close the gender pay gap, according to gender equality charity.
Today (22 November) is Equal Pay Day, which is the day when, because of the gender pay gap, women overall in the UK stop being paid compared to men.
The charity calculated that on average, working women take home £574 less than men each month which equates to £6,888 a year.
It said that at the current rate of change, the gender pay gap won’t close until 2051 and that women aged 40 and older won’t see the gender pay gap close before they reach State Pension age.
Calls for more flexibility
The Fawcett Society has released new data and a report which shows that making flexible work the default in high-quality, high-paid jobs is essential if we are to see the gender pay gap close more quickly.
Its data shows that women are accessing flexible work associated with lower-paid, lower-quality work e.g. part-time, insecure work and zero-hours contracts, in order to balance their caring responsibilities, and that this contributes to the UK’s gender pay gap.
The charity’s evidence shows that 40% of women who aren’t currently working said that access to flexible work would mean they could take on more paid work (32% of men who aren’t working and 37% of people overall said the same).
The report also found that women were significantly more likely to report working part-time (27%) compared to men (14%). Men were more likely to report having access to more desirable forms of flexible work – for example, working term-time only outside of an education setting (21%), working as part of a job share (18%), working a number of set hours flexibly across the year (15%), or working to commissioned outcomes (10%).
‘Gender pay gap must close’
Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: “The Chancellor is delivering the Autumn Statement today, but can he really build a thriving economy without closing the gender pay gap? The fact is, if we want a thriving economy, the gender pay gap must close, and to achieve this, our Government must make flexible work the default.
“We see time and time again that women feel they have no choice but to accept lower-paid, lower-quality work in exchange for flexibility, and this isn’t fair. A need for flexible working arrangements, whether it be due to caring responsibilities, disability, or simply a desire to rebalance work and life, should not mean the end of career progression. Women are being kept in lower-quality jobs due to old-fashioned workplace norms.
“Women must be allowed to progress with the flexible working arrangements they require, and men must step up and take on their fair share of caring responsibilities and household tasks. Flexible work must be the norm for both men and women at work.”
The charity pointed out that the right to request flexible working is not enough to create the “deep cultural change” that is needed. Currently, accessing flexible work is a matter of negotiation with employers. But the Fawcett Society report shows that “this is a process that favours men and bakes in existing inequality”.
Olchawski added: “Women shouldn’t be penalised or disadvantaged because they need to work flexibly and they certainly shouldn’t be locked out of roles they are qualified and keen to do. Too many women take on less-desirable and less well-paid roles so they can access flexibility and this contributes to the gender pay gap.
“Flexible work must be made the default for everyone. Employees need a better understanding of the different forms of flexible work open to them across all career paths and employers need to embrace the benefits this will bring to their organisation.”
