Progress on gender pay gap for Renfrewshire Council

A report to be considered by Renfrewshire Councillors this week will show a gender pay gap of 0.52% in favour of female employees, marking significant progress in balancing pay amongst its workforce.

The latest figures mark a substantial improvement from 2018 when there was a 4.59% pay gap in favour of males and demonstrate the positive impact of targeted policies and initiatives aimed at promoting gender balance across all levels of the organisation.

The council provides a range of public services, including essential services in education, childcare and social work and has a predominantly female workforce. It has a long-standing commitment to creating an inclusive working environment where all employees, regardless of gender, are supported to reach their full potential.

Councillor John Shaw, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board, said: “We are proud we have narrowed the gender pay gap significantly to the point where it is now 0.52% in favour of women.

“We have a predominantly female workforce and we’re committed to ensuring fairness across our services, challenging occupational stereotypes, and supporting progression across the organisation for all our employees.

“We recognise we need to maintain and build on this progress as we strive to support equality and remain committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure Renfrewshire Council is an attractive place to work and is somewhere everyone can thrive, regardless of gender.”

In working to reduce the pay gap, the Council has focused on ensuring equal access to development opportunities, leadership programmes, employee benefits and family-friendly policies, and has redesigned key frontline service roles and implemented a revised pay and grading model for thousands of employees. 

As the Council’s workforce is predominantly female, significant work has also been undertaken to attract male applicants for traditionally female-dominated roles, as well as supporting females on lower grades to apply for more senior roles.

The Council also has inclusive HR policies in place to support all employees with leave and pay, which include flexible working, absence, parenting, menopause, pregnancy loss and carers leave.   

In line with its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council will continue to monitor and report back on its gender pay gap closely and implement actions that support equality of opportunity.

For more information on working in Renfrewshire Council, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/jobs