Women
in HR are losing out on pay and promotions and, according to the Personnel and
Payroll Salary Survey 2003 out today, the situation is worse than last year.
In
the 2003 survey, 50 per cent of male payroll senior managers who responded earn
more than £30,000, while only 35 per cent of their female equivalents were paid
the same amount.
At
the other end of the scale, 13 per cent of male HR/payroll officers earn less
than £20,000, compared with 44 per cent of women.
Additionally,
the new research shows that the more senior the role, the less likely it is to
be filled by a woman.
Hours
worked per week by HR and payroll professionals are also getting longer. Very
few respondents worked a standard seven-hour day and 48 per cent said they
worked between 36 and 40 hours per week. Women work longer hours than men, with
80 per cent claiming to work between 41 and 45 hours, compared with 77 per cent
in last year’s survey.
On
a more positive note, HR and payroll professionals have bucked the trend in
salary increases. Average salaries
increased by 3.67 per cent, in the 12 months to September 2003, compared with
the national median pay settlement of 3.2 per cent.
Cherry
Park, author of the report, said: “Women dominate the HR industry, representing
80 per cent of employees, but this is clearly not reflected in pay and job
levels. Although the survey does reveal
a number of contributing factors to this, such as age and qualifications, it does
not explain why women are still being paid less for doing the same job.
“The
Government has launched its Delivering on Gender Equality initiatives, but the
pay reviews will not be completed until at least 2006. Our report gives real
evidence of the situation today and women should act on these findings to
improve their individual positions. Only then will the situation start to
improve.”
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