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Women work for free for two months each year due to gender pay gap, report finds

‘Our economy is stacked against working women,’ says Trades Union Congress

Olivia Petter
Wednesday 04 March 2020 10:43 GMT
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Video: Prince William shares frustration over lack of diversity during Baftas speech
Video: Prince William shares frustration over lack of diversity during Baftas speech

Women work an average of two months free each year due to the gender pay gap, a new report has found.

Analysis conducted by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) shows because of the gender pay gap in the UK - which is 17.3 per cent - women have to get 63 days into the year before getting paid compared to the average man.

The TUC states that because of this, Wednesday 4 March (aka Women’s Pay Day) is the first day of the year that women are paid for their work.

For the report, the TUC examined data from the Office for National Statistics’ annual survey for hours and earnings.

The organisation also found that even in sectors dominated by female workers, such as social care and education, the gender pay gap means women are paid significantly less than men, earning much less per hour because they are statistically more likely to be in lower-paid or part-time roles.

How long women effectively work for free differs between sectors, the TUC found.

For example, in education, the gender pay gap is 25.4 per cent, meaning the average woman effectively works for free for 93 days.

Meanwhile, in scientific and technical jobs, the average woman waits 88 days to get paid.

The largest disparity is in the finance and insurance sectors, where the gender pay gap equates to women working 123 days for free; this means that women in these roles essentially work for free for more than a third of the year.

Commenting on the findings, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Our economy is stacked against working women. At this rate, it will take another 50 years to close the gender pay gap.

“No more excuses: government must get on and sort the gender pay gap now.”

O’Grady went on to explain why simply publishing the gender pay gap in your company is not enough to combat the problem.

“Companies must be required to explain what steps they’ll take to close their gender pay gaps – and bosses who don’t comply with the law should be fined,” she said.

“And employers must do more to help women balance family responsibilities and work. Flexible working should be a day one right for everyone at work.”

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