Women aged 50 to 59 effectively won’t start earning until 11 March this year, compared with the average male earner, according to the TUC. The union also highlighted that the gender pay gap widens as women get older due to the balancing of unpaid caring responsibilities.
The research revealed that older women often take on more unpaid caring responsibilities such as looking after children, grandchildren or older relatives. This can lead them to experience a financial hit as they often have to leave their jobs to fulfil caring responsibilities.
There are a number of ways that HR can support women in their 50s and help close the gender pay gap, according to Sharon Peake, CEO of DEI consultancy Shape Talent, speaking exclusively to HR magazine.
Peake explained that tailored support for women in their 50s can include integrating age into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, offering menopause policies and related support, providing flexible working, and focusing on awareness campaigns.
Geraldine Gallacher, CEO of The Executive Coaching Consultancy, emphasised the importance of data and reporting for boosting awareness of the gender pay gap. She told HR magazine: “HR leaders are well aware that data talks, so collecting the right data and making sure it’s in front of decision-makers is key.
“I would also urge [HR professionals] not to be persuaded to drop gender pay gap and ethnicity pay gap reporting in the wake of what’s happening in the US.”
Liz Sebag-Montefiore, director of consultancy firm 10eighty, stated that part of the problem is a lack of pay transparency. Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “HR professionals need to interrogate the data they have on pay with a view to addressing any imbalance.
“Failing to tackle the gender pay gap may well cause damage to the organisation’s reputation in the eyes of current and potential clients and employees.”
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The TUC stated that the government's Employment Rights Bill will assist with closing the gender pay gap by requiring organisations with over 250 employees to outline the steps they are taking to reduce it.
The Bill will also be a "huge boost" for working women, according to the TUC, as it will introduce a right to sick pay from day one of employment. The Bill is also set to ban zero-hours contracts that disproportionally affect women.
Gallacher pointed out that the issue of caring for the ageing population is only going to grow, stating that companies could be doing more to offer carers flexibility.
She told HR magazine: “Companies need to consider different levels of flexibility for this population than the contractual flexible working policies that have been in operation to date. Caring for an ageing relative is so much less predictable than say caring for a child, and it can also be heartbreaking.”
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Sebag-Montefiore added that HR plays an important role in fostering a supportive culture and encouraging flexible working, in order to enable women to remain in work while balancing caring responsibilities.
She said: “We should ensure career development for employees of all ages. It may be a case of reaching out to older workers to ensure they are aware of what is available and what options are open to them.
“It’s noticeable that very senior employees in older age brackets don’t seem to have problems accessing flexible options and career support, so that needs to be extended to employees at all levels.”
Amelia Miller, co-founder of Ivee, a consultancy firm helping women return to work, emphasised the importance of tailoring HR support per age group, and not just taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
She said: “A woman in her 30s with a new family has completely different needs to a woman in her 50s who has been out of the workforce after a decade or more of caregiving. Tailored support means recognising these differences, offering targeted upskilling, and ensuring career progression isn’t derailed by life circumstances.
“We can’t keep treating ‘women in the workplace’ as a homogenous group. Midlife women need a completely different approach, like reskilling and extra flexibility.”
