Women paid more than men by Exeter Council

It's because they're in more senior jobs

Women working for Exeter City Council get paid more than men on average.

But a new gender pay report, reveals the difference is down slightly since last year – from five per cent to 3.9 per cent.

This is because almost three times more men than women are in the lowest pay category.

Presenting the figures resented to the council’s executive on Tuesday [7 February], an officer said the council “bucks the trend,” with most organisations still paying men more than women on average.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the gender pay gap for full-time employees in April 2022 was 8.3 per cent less for women than for men.

Since 2017, all companies, charities and public sector departments with 250 employees or more must publish an annual report comparing pay differences.

A gender pay gap is different to unequal pay – defined as paying someone less for doing the same work as the opposite gender – which is illegal. Instead, it highlights how, on average, more men occupy senior positions than women.

However, at Exeter City Council men hold 74 per cent of the jobs in the lowest pay scale, councillors were told.

“I’m quite proud of this,” Councillor Emma Morse (Labour, Mincinglake & Whipton) said, after pointing out the “quite alarming” gender pay gaps in favour of men at many companies.

“I obviously think everybody should be getting paid a nice even amount but for a while it’s quite nice for women to get a bit more, so I think we should be really proud of ourselves here.”