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Case Study: Equal Pay - University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland launched its Equal Pay Policy in 2003 and has now conducted five Equal Pay Audits. Progress has been consistent over this period in reducing gender pay gaps for both full-time and part-time staff. The audits have been widely cited as best practice and have lead to other steps to promote confidence among its staff, 56% of whom are women.
The Equal Pay Audits identified a significant gap between the average hourly rates of pay of part-time staff with those of full-time staff. As 41% of female staff work part-time compared with 12% of male staff and few senior jobs are carried out on a part-time basis, this part-time factor impacted on the overall gender pay gap in the University.
The University ran a focus group and sought feedback from female part-time staff to identify whether there were any perceived barriers to progression The issue was also examined at the institutional level.
The Equal Pay Audits are annual and aim to narrow the gender pay gap each year. So far they have helped deliver a 7% reduction in the gender pay gap.
The audits also encourage the University to address inconsistency, for example, harmonising terms and conditions, building confidence of academic women with transparent promotion procedures, and examining part-time working.
In addition, the equal pay audit work has encouraged and required managers to be consistent in decisions concerning pay, reward, recruitment and retention. For example, training in a non-discriminatory approach has led to greater consistency in starting salaries, with any variation in practice being objectively justified using transparent criteria.
The University is now looking more closely at the impact of part-time working on the gender pay gap, and is encouraging more flexibility in how part-time work is viewed. For example, the greater incidence of men working part-time, together with more flexibility in the workplace as a result of the Age Regulations, is changing perceptions of part-time working as an option traditionally accessed by women and parents. More importantly, the greater incidence of senior roles being carried out on a part-time basis will narrow gender pay gaps in the shorter term and also increase women’s confidence to aim higher in their careers over the longer term. The University is, therefore, celebrating existing part-time senior roles. A focus group has been set up to consider whether there are any perceived barriers to the career progression of part-time staff.
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