Women paid more than men at Brighton and Hove City Council

Brighton and Hove City Council announced the news on International Women’s Day, and said it is bucking a global trend by being one of a handful of local authorities where women can expect not to earn less than their male counterparts.

The city council said it attributes the findings to women making up around 60 per cent of their total workforce, and employing more women than men in higher paid roles.

The gender pay gap is defined as the average pay gap between male and female staff in hourly pay. All employers with more than 250 employees must now publish their gender pay gap report annually.

Cllr Emma Daniel, chair of the neighbourhoods, inclusion, communities and equality committee, said: “The gender pay gap report shows that our council is committed to inclusion for our female workers, and we’re showing other councils the way forward.

“I’m pleased that our approach to fair pay and grading, family-friendly employment policies and a commitment to diversity in the workplace has enabled women to develop careers with the council.

“We’re not going to let that take our eye off the ball, and we’re committed to ensuring the council is a fair and inclusive place to work for everyone regardless of gender.

“We’ll be looking at this data and considering what further actions should be taken.

“In the age of the #MeToo campaign there has never been a more important time to keep motivated and #PressforProgress on International Women’s Day.”

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

To read the full report on council pay, click here.