The gender pay gap has hit news headlines again recently, since it was revealed that the Bank of England still have a 24.2% gender pay gap. This is huge compared with a national average of 9.1%, but is actually a lot better than the Financial Sector average of 35.6%.

When we talk about pay gap, we aren’t talking about equal pay because that has been a legal requirement for 47 years. Equal pay states that men and women doing the same job should be paid the same, where as the gender pay gap looks at the average earnings of men and women in an organisation or industry (without honing in on their job role or hours). Organisations which have an unbalanced number of one gender in senior, high-paying roles will tend to have a larger pay gap.

We saw a similar story when the BBC announced their list of high-paid celebrities, and they were revealed to still have a 10% pay gap across the organisaton, in favour of men. The reason for this remains the same – a higher number of men than women in senior roles.

If the reason for the gender pay gap is down to having more men than women in senior roles, we wonder how much of this comes down to unconscious (or even conscious) bias, something we work to make our clients more aware of.

Bias is the very fundamental way we look at and encounter the world to make sense of the world around us. It is driven by the hard wiring pattern of making decisions about others based on what feels safe, familiar, likeable, valuable and competent to us without us realising it. It relates to the times when we naturally feel a stronger affinity or trust with those who are more similar to us or things we are familiar with, such as gender, race, sexual orientation or education.

Unconscious Bias affects our decision making, our relationships, who we have affinity to and consequentially provides opportunities in the workplace.

As much as you might like to think that you don’t inflict bias on those around you, everyone has unconscious bias. It is actually quite useful for times when quick decisions are needed such as when you are faced with a dangerous situation. Unconscious bias is a by-product of the various shortcuts your brain takes to make decisions, but it is not a good way to make decisions when dealing with staff or colleagues.

The gender pay gap which we still see today, although in decline, could be the result of centuries of unconscious bias taking its toll. Historically, mainly men were positioned in senior positions and whether the decision was conscious or unconscious, these men were drawn to recruiting more men to join or replace them.

Much has changed since this time, not just the law around equal opportunities but the general perception of women and their role in both society and the workplace. Yet, we still see a gender pay gap of 9%, indicating that despite our best efforts, there must still be some unconscious bias which leads to there being a higher number of men in the most senior (or better paid) positions.

There really is so much to be discussed when it comes to gender and equal opportunities in the workplace, because women are not the only victims. Men still have very little rights compared with women when it comes to child care and paternity leave and this is an issue which is only just beginning to be addressed.

Not only this, but we have come across organisations which are trying so hard to decrease their gender pay gaps and give women more opportunities, that they are actually inadvertently discriminating against men!

Imagine a company where 75% of the senior management are men and the company have committed to lessening this gender gap. A new senior position becomes available and there are an equal number of perfectly suitable male and female candidates in line for the role. This company is more likely to give that position to a woman, in a controversial move of conscious bias, simply to undo centuries of unconscious bias! In this example, there may not be an opportunity for a male to join senior management until they have levelled out their figures to 50% of each gender – isn’t that discrimination? Not being considered for a job, simply because of your gender?

We talk about gender here because this is currently measurable, but gender bias is not the only unconscious bias which is leading to unfair decisions and discrimination. In fact, there are 9 characteristics which are protected when it comes to unconscious bias:

• Race
• Gender
• Sexual Orientation
• Religion and Belief
• Age
• Disability
• Pregnancy and Maternity
• Gender Reassignment
• Marriage and Civil Partnership

We hear about discriminations and bias taking place in relation to these characteristics on a daily basis. We also see examples of discrimination in relation to “undoing” these unconscious bias’, companies making an effort to employ more homosexual people, disabled people and people in ethnic minorities. We are not suggesting that there is anything wrong with creating a more diverse and equal workforce, but during the recruitment process, shouldn’t it be the person who is most capable of doing that job, irrespective of these 9 characteristics?

Despite the high gender pay gaps, there has been progress at reducing this gap and it generally improves every year. Most organisations are addressing the issue of discrimination within the 9 protected characteristics, with local authorities being far better than private companies. Brighton & Hove Council in particular have been fantastic at addressing these issues, even from an early age, having introduced the issues into the school curriculums.

By April 2018, all companies with 250 or more employees will have to publish figures showing average pay for men and women including any bonuses. This will reveal how widespread the gender pay gap is and will enable comparisons with other companies. This level of transparency and accountability can only be a positive thing for the future of equality and diversity.

As unconscious bias is a natural part of the human brain, you can’t just switch it off that easily. However, being more aware of the impact this has on the workplace and the decision-making process will help to lead to a more fair, diverse and equal workplace where everyone are given opportunities. Speak with Richard at Brightstone about addressing these issues in your organisation, get in touch!