Article: Pay transparency: Should we be talking about salaries? Written by Annie Makoff-Clark Tuesday 18 April 2023 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Finding out that your coworker in the same role takes home more than you can be extremely demoralising, and it’s particularly common for women and ethnic minority groups. Yet discussing pay with colleagues is still taboo. Could more transparency help? Francesca Lawson remembers exactly how she felt in 2017 when the company she previously worked for published their pay data for the first time. “I was so excited and hopeful. I felt I had power back in my hands.” Francesca was all too aware of the realities of the gender pay gap. In a previous role, she was treated differently to a male colleague, even though they were doing the same job, arousing suspicions that he was paid more than she was. “It was an inkling I had,” says Francesca who today is the creator of Twitter-based @PayGapApp and a freelance social media manager. “He also had ‘Manager’ in his job title and I didn’t. He had more flexibility with working hours and deadlines.” Deep dive: equal pay vs the gender pay gap Closing the Gender Pay Gap: the key facts at a glance If Francesca hoped that mandatory pay gap reporting would bring about change, she was to be disappointed. The company she worked for reported a 20% gender pay gap (the median is around 15%), but nobody seemed interested in addressing it. “In our job advertisements, the language was always about how fair and ethical we were. And, as I was in marketing, I had to be part of the messaging and communications around International Womens’ Day. It was so demoralising – it just felt we had nothing good to say.” My predecessor had the same experience as me, so I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t being paid at the going rate Meanwhile, Emma Leech CMgr, global marketing director at Heriot-Watt University and chartered PR practitioner, had her pay gap confirmed. She discovered that her male predecessor had been on “significantly” higher pay. “I found it out by accident, through paperwork lying around,” she recalls. “My predecessor had the same experience, qualifications and track record as me, so I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t being paid at the going rate.” Keep reading to learn more about the big questions surrounding pay transparency Login or register below for Free Instant Access Login If you are already registered as a CMI Friend, Subscriber or Member, just login to view this article. Confirm your registration Login below to confirm your details and access this article. Sign in with email Email remember me remember Forget? Please confirm that you want to switch off the "Sign in with email" remember me feature. Yes No Register for Free Access Not yet a Member, Subscriber or Friend? Register as a CMI Friend for free, and get access to this and many other exclusive resources, as well as weekly updates straight to your inbox. You have successfully registered As a CMI Friend, you now have access to whole range of CMI Friendship benefits. Please login to the left to confirm your registration and access the article. Article Our extensive range of articles are designed to keep you in the loop with all the latest management and leadership best practice, research and news. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.
