Just one in four full-time UK employees strongly agree that their workplace is transparent about pay, according to new research.
Glassdoor, which provides insights into jobs and companies, surveyed 2,042 UK employees and has published its findings today on Equal Pay Day (18 November). This is the day on which women stop earning, for the remainder of the calendar year, relative to men because of the gender pay gap.
More than half (51%) of respondents feel that their workplace should be doing more to close the gender pay gap, with male workers 20% more likely than women to agree. One in two (50%) believe they are unfairly paid for their current role and only 50% think pay and promotions are handled fairly within their organisation.
In addition, 54% admitted they are apprehensive about discussing salary with their boss, as seen by 67% of female workers not asking for a pay rise in 2020, which is 30% more than men. Over the past year, 35% of those in female-dominated industries such as education, healthcare, and hospitality asked for a wage increase, compared to those in the traditionally male-dominated worlds of finance and technology (62% and 56% respectively).
The findings also revealed that women are also 26% less likely than their male counterparts to ask for more money over the next 12 months, with 37% planning to ask for a pay rise next year and 56% admitting they lack the confidence to ask for one.
Glassdoor’s career expert Jill Cotton commented that workplace transparency is a hallmark of many successful companies, and more is needed in the future.
“Companies should open an honest discussion around salary from the point that the role is advertised and throughout the person’s time with the organisation. Having clear salary bands limits the need for negotiation which, as the Glassdoor research shows, has a detrimental effect on female employees' ability to earn throughout their career,” she said.
