Cloud-based HR software provider, HiBob, released its annual Women in the Workplace report today (28 February) which shows that three quarters of working men believe employees are paid equally in the workplace. The gender pay gap currently stands at 13.1%, according to TUC data published earlier this month.
HiBob's report also found that a quarter (26%) of working women were not promoted in pay, benefits or position last year, compared to a fifth (20%) of working men.
Ronni Zehavi, HiBob's CEO, stated that men, who are often less vulnerable to bias and workplace prejudice, have a unique opportunity to be part of the solution of changing this perception, and driving real progress.
He told HR magazine: "For meaningful change to take place, HR leaders must raise awareness of the true scale of gender inequality, and create a culture where progress is both visible and felt by employees.”
Read more: Women in their 50s have the biggest gender pay gap
Zehavi also stated that HR leaders should support employees in understanding the experiences of other employees.
He said: “Each employee may need support understanding the challenges and experiences others are facing. Training – whether it be on unconscious bias or allyship – will provide that understanding and consideration.”
Many employees may believe that gender equality has already been achieved in the workplace because inequities largely occur behind closed doors, for example during negotiation and decision making, stated Aniela Unguresan, founder of EDGE Certified Foundation, which offers standards for workplace equity and inclusion.
Unguresan told HR magazine: “It is the role of both leadership and HR teams to bridge the gap between opinion and fact. To do this, organisations must be clear and transparent about what those facts are.
“Intentions should be communicated with employees, detailing what the approach of the organisation is to ensure gender pay equity, where it currently stands in this respect, where it aspires to go, and the plan to get there.”
HiBob’s report found that almost two in five women (36%) have experienced workplace harassment in the last five years. The report also highlighted a perception gap relating to support: nearly three quarters (73%) of men characterised their workplace’s approach to addressing potential harassment as ‘supportive’; 41% of men described it as ‘very supportive and proactive’. Yet 16% of women respondents would describe their employer’s approach to harassment as ‘unclear’, ‘unsupportive’ or ‘actively discouraging’.
Read more: Workplace discrimination against young women reaches three-year high
Employers can help address inequities by closing the ‘lived experience gap’, said Mark Freed, managing director of Men for Inclusion, an organisation dedicated to improving diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
Freed told HR magazine: “There are barriers and challenges that women are more likely to face in the workplace than men. That means shifting mindsets, policies and behaviours. And when we do that, everyone wins.
“It isn’t HR’s job to close this gap, but they can be a part of the solution by training managers to be inclusive and spot bias.”
Gender pay gap data collection is an important step in bringing awareness to the gender pay gap as well as gender discrimination in the workplace, according to Harriet Walker, director of member and advisory services at Business in the Community, a charity promoting responsible business.
Walker told HR magazine: “While gender pay gap data collection and reporting is mandatory for all large businesses, it is what is done with this data that makes all the difference.
“Employers should use the gender data of their workforce to identify trends and gaps in the workforce, set ambitious and achievable targets to close the gender gap, and advance towards gender equality in the workplace."
