Gender Pay Data as of 31 March 2025
Under the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017, employers with 250 or more employees are required to publish statutory gender pay gap calculations every year. We are required to calculate and publish the following gender pay data:
- gender pay gap (mean and median averages)
- gender bonus gap (mean and median averages)
- proportion of males and females receiving bonuses
- proportion of males and females in each quartile of the organisation's pay structure
The information below is based on data held as of 31 March 2025. Please note that we do not have a bonus scheme so there is no data for this section of the report.
Gender Pay Gap Findings
Please see below the difference between the following:
- mean hourly rate of pay for a male employee and a female employee is 14.25%
- median hourly rate of pay for a male employee and a female employee is 6.21%
- mean bonus paid to male employees and female employees is 0%
- median bonus paid to male employees and female employees is 0%
- proportion of male employees who were paid bonus pay is 0%
- proportion of female employees who were paid bonus pay is 0%
- proportion of males and females in the lower, lower middle, upper middle and upper quartile pay bands is shown in the table below
| Quartile | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % males | 31 | 34 | 32 | 55 |
| % females | 69 | 66 | 68 | 45 |
Analysis of results
The gender pay gap analysis has considered data obtained over the past 5 years to identify any long-term trends in the gender pay gap.
Fluctuation in the Pay Gap
While there have been fluctuations in the gender pay gap over the five years, the overall trend is one of improvement, particularly in 2025, where the gap significantly narrowed both in mean (down to 14.25%) and median (down to 6.21%) pay compared to the previous years.
Increased Gender Parity in Quartiles
While the gender disparity in the upper quartile remains, the middle quartiles (2nd and 3rd) have shown signs of improved gender balance. This indicates progress in diversifying gender representation across pay levels.
Steady Representation in Lower Quartiles
The proportion of female employees in the lower quartiles remained strong, though it dropped slightly in 2025 compared to previous years, particularly in the first quartile.
Upper Quartile Shift
A noticeable shift toward more male representation in the upper quartile between 2024 and 2025 suggests a widening gap at the top end of the pay scale, even as the overall pay gap narrows.
Conclusion
Over the past five years, the council has made steady progress in reducing the gender pay gap, especially in median hourly pay. However, challenges remain, particularly in the upper quartile, where the gender distribution still favours males. Efforts will continue to achieve gender balance across all quartiles, further closing the pay gap, particularly in the upper pay ranges. However, planned interventions, to reduce the gender pay gap, such as leadership training for females, offering vacancies as part time positions etc. are not quick fixes and can take some time before the results are seen.