Law firm Shoosmiths has reported a 15.41% mean gender pay gap for fixed hourly pay as at 5 April 2017.
The organisation has reported its gender pay gap data in line with the government’s gender pay gap reporting regulations and ahead of the private sector submission deadline of 4 April 2018.
The gender pay gap reporting regulations require organisations with 250 or more employees to publish the difference between both the mean and median hourly rate of pay for male and female full-time employees; the difference between both the mean bonus pay and median bonus pay for male and female employees; the proportions of male and female employees who were awarded bonus pay; and the proportions of male and female full-time employees in the lower, lower middle, upper middle and upper quartile pay bands.
The median gender pay gap for fixed hourly pay is 12.98% as at 5 April 2017.
The mean gender pay gap for bonuses paid in the year to 5 April 2017 is 17.98%, and the median gender pay gap for bonus pay is 0%. Over this period, 92% of female employees received a bonus payment, compared to 94% of male employees.
More than half (60%) of employees in the highest pay quartile at Shoosmiths are women, compared to 73% in the second quartile, 81% in the third quartile, and 69% in the lowest pay quartile.
In order to address its gender pay gap, last year Shoosmiths formed the Gender Equality Working Group. The group, which reports directly to the organisation’s board will work towards reducing Shoosmiths gender pay gap.
Furthermore, Shoosmiths will also continue to establish and run a network of groups that have been set up across its offices. These groups contribute to the organisation’s diversity and inclusion strategy to support staff with their personal and work lives in order to improve career development. The law firm will additionally introduce agile working, and offer alternative career progression routes, for example with the introduction of new job roles such as a legal director.
Claire Rowe (pictured), chief executive officer at Shoosmiths, said: “We are pleased that Shoosmiths’ median pay gap stands below the national average, but we recognise there is still more work to be done.
“We are confident that [the aforementioned] initiatives and further discussion across the organisation will help Shoosmiths to reduce its gender pay gap.”
