Weetabix Food Company, which also produces the Alpen and Ready Brek brands, has made further progress in reducing its gender pay gap, closing the median gap to 4.4% as at April 2020, down from 6.6% the previous year.
The organisation also reported a mean gender pay gap of 2.46% as at April 2020, down from 5.29% the previous year.
Weetabix Food Company reported its gender pay gap data in line with the government’s gender pay gap reporting regulations.
The reporting regulations require employers with 250 or more employees to publish the differences in mean and median hourly rates of pay for male and female full-time employees, the gap in men and women’s mean and median bonus pay, the proportion of male and female employees awarded bonus payments, and the proportion of male and female full-time employees in the lower, lower-middle, upper-middle and upper quartile pay bands.
Due to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, gender pay gap reporting regulations have been suspended for the 2019/2020 reporting period, however, the organisation voluntarily chose to publish this data.
In the past 12 months, the organisation has stepped up the impact of its inclusion and diversity forum, ‘Inclusion without Exception’, which it set up two years ago. The forum allows individuals to raise concerns, celebrate successes, educate colleagues and develop the inclusive culture further.
Weetabix Food Company also provided inclusion training for employees and ran its second inclusion maturity study this year, helping staff to listen to their colleagues and give people a chance to share their views on key themes, through a series of focus groups.
Stuart Branch, group people and technology director at Weetabix Food Company, said: “It’s been a difficult and unique year for the food and drink sector. With more people eating breakfast at home, the cereal category has continued to perform well, and we’re extremely proud of and grateful to our extraordinary Weetabix Food Company employees who have worked tirelessly to deliver a continuous supply of our delicious breakfast products to keep the nation fed.
“Throughout the Covid-19 [pandemic], we have continued to make strides with our inclusion strategy, helping our people continue to make the difference every day. While we’re still on a journey to further reduce our gender pay gap, we’re pleased with our results and the additional inclusion strategies that we have implemented in the last year.
“Our intention is to help people live better lives by providing better breakfasts, and that starts by creating a work environment which encourages people to bring their best self to work.”