Gender Pay Gap across our District.

Thousands of working women in Folkestone & Hythe District  have this week discovered what they may have know for certain or long suspected – that they are working in organisations where men are on average paid much more than them.

What should you do if you are a woman working at one of the worst-performing companies in Folkestone & Hythe District? Is this the week to ask for a pay rise? Should you go on strike? Or are there smarter ways to deal with the fury that these figures should unleash?

Companies/Organisations in the chart below identified in red are those that have a median hourly pay gap greater than the national average – which was 18.4 per cent in 2017. There are two within our district.

The median hourly rate is calculated by ranking all employees from the highest paid to the lowest paid, and taking the hourly wage of the person in the middle.

This means that the median gender pay gap is the difference between women’s median hourly wage and men’s median hourly wage.

Firms marked in yellow marker have pay gap of between 0 and 18.4 per cent. Firms marked in  green marker are those with a negative pay gap. With these firms, the woman’s median pay rate is more than the equivalent male rate. So Folkestone & Hythe District Council come out tops and discriminate the least according to the Data.  Holiday Extras and Saga are the worst companies and seemingly discriminate the most regarding pay, according to the data.

The data – available on the gender pay gap service website – has been hailed as an unprecedented opportunity to understand the difference in pay between men and women across the UK.

Organisations with more than 250 employees are obliged by law to publish information on their gender pay gap.

The new pay transparency measures are an important first step in addressing the systemic inequality women face at work in the district and beyond. However, the fundamental weakness is that employers aren’t required to take action that will close their pay gap. This we believe must change.

Evidence shows that most employers are unlikely to voluntarily take action on gender equality, predominantly because they unduly think they’re already treating all their staff fairly. The challenge as we see it, is for employers is to decide whether to be sector leaders and demonstrate their commitment to gender equality, or to risk reputational damage by doing nothing. We hope both Saga and Holiday Extras will pro-actively improve female pay in the near future.

Amelia Gentleman gives excellent advice to women on how they might go about securing a pay rise.

All we suggest working ladies is go for it.

The Shepwayvox Team (written by the only female member)