Calderdale Council has today published its gender pay gap report to mark International Women’s Day.
The report reveals that the Council is making major progress towards narrowing salaries earned by men and women.
All local authorities must report their gender pay gap by 30 March 2018 as part of the Public Sector Equality Duty.
The mean gender pay gap at Calderdale Council, which is the percentage difference in the average hourly rate paid to men and women, is 3.4%, as against the national average of 18.1%. One of the main reasons that there may be a gender pay gap in some organisations is because traditionally more men are likely to hold senior positions.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, Performance and Business Change, Cllr Jane Scullion said:
“We’ve taken great strides to reduce the gender pay gap at the Council, and whilst we’re delighted that we are close to a neutral position, and we compare well to the national picture, there is clearly still work for us to do.
“I’m proud of the Council’s commitment to narrowing the gap. We are the only Council in West Yorkshire to be accredited as a Living Wage employer. This is really important as many of the lowest paid jobs, such as caring and cleaning roles, have traditionally attracted more female employees.
“We’re also actively investing in our staff through our Future Leaders Programme, to develop our leaders of tomorrow. In the first cohort, five out of the six who passed our extensive recruitment process are women, which will help to ensure we achieve a gender balance in our leadership team in the years to come.”
One of the first to take part in the Future Leaders Programme, Toni Kershaw, the Council’s Acting Customer Access Manager said:
“I joined the Council in 2006 as the Team Leader in the Contact Centre, and more recently I’ve temporarily taken on a more senior role to manage the whole team. I applied for the programme because I’m keen to develop new skills and it seemed like a great opportunity to progress in my career.
“I’ve taken part in a range of placements which have broadened my experience and I’ve also spent more time with our senior leaders, so I can learn how to work at different levels within the Council. I have regular meetings with a career coach and mentor and am undertaking more formal training and professional development.
“I’m really excited for the future as I feel confident that by the end of the programme I’ll be equipped to apply for more senior leadership or management roles in the Council.”
The Council’s gender pay gap report will be available to view at www.calderdale.gov.uk shortly