Gender pay gap is 'women's choice'
Oct 23 2008
The public should make less of a song and dance about the gender pay gap, as most of it is due to choices made by each side, a new report states.
Should We Mind the Gap from Professor J R Shackleton states the difference in pay for men and women is not anything the government can affect, as it is largely due to choices made by women on working conditions and values.
The report, released by the Institute of Economic Affairs, says rather than employers discriminating, the gap is due to women choosing lesser paid jobs or part-time work to enable them to have a family.
According to the publication, British people should make 'far less of a song and dance about the gender pay gap', stating equal pay and anti-discrimination laws may be counter-productive.
Shackleton says: 'The pay gap is falling but is also a reflection of individuals' lifestyle preferences. Government can't regulate or legislate these away – and shouldn't try to.'
One example in the report of lifestyle choices affecting pay is that men tend to work longer hours and do more overtime than their female counterparts, as twice as many males than women will work a 48-hour week.
Research from smallbusiness.co.uk last month found the lack of pay equality in the workplace led to 11 per cent of respondents starting their own firm.
Kamel Hothi, Asian markets director at Lloyds TSB, told the website career breaks still affect women's pay as they miss out on opportunities.
Comment by Sarah Dixon
Friday 28th November 2008My understanding was that the Pay Gap was measured on equal terms. It is not about people taking less paid jobs, its about women being paid less to do the SAME job as a man. This is a Pay Gap, and this is a serious problem and should not be regarded as a choice! It is discrimination, clear and simple.
Report this comment
Comment by sam chung
Sunday 1st March 2009Sarah Dixon, you comment is a prime example of why the gender pay gap is such a misunderstood bit of propaganda perpetrated by those with an axe to grind. The Office of National Statistics, who produces this figure, actually explains on their website that the gender pay gap is "measured by the median hourly pay excluding overtime of full-time employees". That means it compares the average earnings of men with the average earnings of women. It also goes on to say "The increase in the gender pay gap can be explained by a significant number of women moving into full-time jobs with low rates of hourly pay. This has the impact of reducing the overall growth in earnings of full-time female employees." Most people make the same mistake as you, assuming that the gap means inequality of pay. If I run a construction firm with 10 builders who happen to be men, and one cleaner for our office that happens to be a woman. Does that mean the big difference between the wages men in my firm and my cleaner's wage mean that I discriminate against women? How many applicants would I get for builders if I advertised the job at the same salary as the cleaner?
Report this comment
Comments [2]