Workplace equality: CMI urges employers to do more to support female staff

A new report by the TUC reveals that female workers face a worsening situation when it comes to achieving equality and, in the event of deep public spending cuts, female workers will be hardest hit, facing widespread job losses and a reduction in post-retirement income.

The TUC’s findings come as the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) urges organisations to take steps to protect their female employees by opening up a debate on diversity in the workplace (www.managers.org.uk/debatediversity).  It also follows CMI’s latest Economic Outlook survey which revealed that the relative advantage in job security female managers had over their male colleagues, in April 2009, has now disappeared. 

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the CMI says;

“Women are already on the back-foot when it comes to achieving equality with men, and this latest TUC report suggests that the situation is likely to get worse. It is a depressing fact that inequality appears to be endemic within the UK workforce and despite the fact that many of our European counterparts have succeeded in tackling the problem, UK organisations are lagging far behind when it comes to taking care of their female staff. There is no shortage of female talent in the UK, but organisations persist in passing over women when it comes to filling the top spots. The proportion of female directors has risen by less than one per cent in the past 12 months and is only five per cent higher than a decade ago.

“The gender pay gap continues to be a major issue across all industries and urgently needs addressing. Women are paid less than men at all levels, but at director level, this difference can be as much as 15.6 per cent. Diversity is essential in business, but in organisations where women are poorly paid and their ambitions to reach senior positions thwarted, it is no wonder many are keen to jump ship.

“This is a ridiculous state of affairs. There needs to be a radical shift of attitude in the UK whereby gaps in equal opportunities or pay between men and women are regarded as deeply unfair and utterly unacceptable. We are urging employers to take urgent action to protect their female staff and demonstrate that they are just as valued, and valuable, as their male peers.”

Ruth Spellman’s comments come against a backdrop of figures obtained by the CMI’s recent National Management Salary Survey, showing that at junior level, male pay is increasing at a greater rate than female pay - 5.2 per cent compared with 4.6 per cent respectively - an indication that the gender pay gap is actually increasing.

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Further information:

Faith Riding, Kindred Agency
Tel: 020 7612 8865
Email: faith.riding@kindredagency.com

NOTES TO EDITORS
CMI is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of management and leadershipexcellence.  CMI is the guardian of the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership and sets the standards that others follow

As a membership organisation, CMI has been providing forward-thinking advice and support to individuals and businesses, for more than 50 years, and continues to give managers and leaders, and the organisations they work in, the tools they need to improve their performance and make an impact.  Through its Women in Management Network, the CMI addresses the key issues affecting women managers today

As the only organisation to offer qualifications from Level 2 (GCSE) to Level 8 (PhD), CMI is committed to equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge to be exceptional managers and leaders.  Qualifications and accreditations such as Chartered Manager, combined with products such as CMI’s Continuous Professional Development scheme and the online support resource, ManagementDirect, support the development of management and leadership excellence across the UK

Through in-depth research and policy surveys of its 86,000 individual and 450 corporate members, CMI maintains its position as the premier authority on key management and leadership issues