Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Letters

Quick fixes will not plug gender pay gap

by Personnel Today 5 Oct 2004
by Personnel Today 5 Oct 2004

I read Michael Millar’s article in Personnel Today about gender pay gaps in the HR profession with some interest (News, 21 September). As an HR manager in manufacturing, I am fully aware of the historic preference towards men in senior positions. This has obviously been reflected in HR. I am, however, concerned at the inference that HR professionals are in some way creating this situation through discrimination.


I think it would be more appropriate to study the ratio of women against men in HR manager positions (which has clearly grown in the past 10 years in women’s favour), and to compare starting salaries at management level for each gender. My guess is that such a study’s results would show that the inflated salaries for men are historic (those in a job for five years or more), that the majority of new recruits enjoy salary equity, but that many more women are recruited to the HR profession.


The nature of employment nowadays is that people move on quicker, and although there is a clear argument that you should be paid for the job you do, regardless of time served, there has always been an element of incremental pay that many of the long-term HR managers (mostly male) from years gone by will have benefited from.


The over-reaction in your report from some very senior people within the HR world will inflame the issue among the profession, and is likely to lead to an over-inflation of salaries all-round.


Let’s take a sensible approach to gender and salary and recognise the good work being done within the profession to remove historic inequality – and the education of long-term traditionalist directors and managers – rather than seeking irrational quick fixes.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Pete Smith


Frustrated HR manager

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Conservatives would axe New Deal scheme in money-saving move
next post
Cranet survey

You may also like

Employers must engage temps during economic crisis

28 Aug 2008

Delivering on equality should be a minimum requirement

29 Jul 2008

Unison mistreated members in local government pay strike

29 Jul 2008

Apprenticeships are the way to a more competitive...

29 Jul 2008

Strategic HR initiatives do not have to be...

22 Jul 2008

All religious beliefs should be treated with respect

22 Jul 2008

HR needs to work closely with IT on...

22 Jul 2008

Give Orme a chance and get on with...

22 Jul 2008

Government must practise what it preaches on equality

10 Jul 2008

Total reward statements not the only way forward

10 Jul 2008

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+