Westminster Abbey has reported a 2% mean gender pay gap for fixed hourly pay.
The religious establishment 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.
Westminster Abbey’s median gender pay gap for fixed hourly pay is 11.6% in favour of women.
The employee demographic in the abbey’s highest pay quartile consists of 44 female employees (58%) and 32 male employees, with a mean gender pay gap of 6.2% in favour of men. In its second pay quartile, there are 31 female employees (41%) compared to 45 male employees, creating a mean gender pay gap of 2.2% in favour of women, and in the third quartile, there are 27 female employees (36%) versus 49 male employees, causing a mean gender pay gap of 0.03% in favour of men. In Westminster Abbey’s lowest pay quartile, there are 39 female employees (51%) and 37 male employees, with a mean gender pay gap of 1.8% in favour of women.
Westminster Abbey has not reported any gender pay gap data relating to bonus payments. The government's online gender pay gap viewing service indicates that Westminster Abbey has a 0% mean and median gender pay gap for bonuses.
To address its gender pay gap, Westminster Abbey seeks to frame its recruitment person specifications differently to focus on task descriptions and the duties that will need to be performed rather than on the type of environment required skills have been gained in. Westminster Abbey is also considering wording on its recruitment descriptions that encourages female applications if women are underrepresented in that type of job role.
Its report said: “The dean and chapter of Westminster are not complacent about the pay gap reported in these figures and have considered ways in which to address the particular gaps in the upper quartile pay range.
“For example, the abbey will in future seek to frame person specifications in slightly different ways, such as focusing more on the description of the tasks and duties in which candidates need to be able to demonstrate their skills and competence, rather than on the type of environment the skills have been gained in. The Abbey may also state in recruiting for roles in which women are underrepresented that [it] would welcome applications from women.”
