Fancy clocking off early? Today – thanks to the gender pay gap – women in the UK stop being paid compared to men, so consider this your sign.
Equal Pay Day – a campaign launched by The Fawcett Society – signifies the day in the year that women effectively stop earning compared to their male counterparts. Yep, we're pretty much working for free now till Christmas.
The latest research shows that the gender pay gap is wider than campaigners previously thought. Using the mean, full-time, hourly gender pay gap for the UK to calculate the gender pay gap for Equal Pay Day, The Fawcett Society found that the gap between men's and women's earnings is 11.3%, up from 10.7% in 2023.
This means that, on average, every month, working women take home £631 less than men – that’s £7,572 over the year. This is up from £574 per month last year (£6,888 over the year).
This is the first time the gender pay gap has definitely widened since 2013. This could partially be explained by improvements in the Government’s methodology to include the highest earners, which suggests that the gender pay gap has been underestimated in recent years.
Wondering if you're paid less than your male counterparts at work? The Fawcett Society has just launched a new calculator, which takes less than 10 seconds to fill out and will show you the gender pay gap between you and the average man. You can test it out here.
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Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has committed to ending the gender pay gap. In June, prior to the general election, Reeves told The Guardian, “In the position of chancellor, I believe the biggest impact that I can make to the lives of ordinary women, women who go out to work, is to close the gender pay gap once and for all.”
While the Fawcett Society has welcomed Reeves' commitment to ending gender pay inequality, they've called for a joined-up, transformational strategy across all government departments – rather than lip service.
Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, “To truly achieve equality, we need a comprehensive, cross-departmental strategy that tackles the root causes of the gap, including the undervaluing of women’s work, a lack of affordable childcare, and the systemic barriers that prevent women, particularly mothers, from reaching their full potential in the workforce.
“If we are to see meaningful change, flexible work must be the default across all sectors, and discrimination in pay must be eradicated. The gender pay gap is not just an issue for women—it’s an issue for our entire economy. Until we address the inequalities that women face every day, we risk seeing this gap grow.”
The key takeaways from Rachel Reeves's budget.
The report found that a whopping two-thirds of the gender pay gap would still exist even if men and women worked exactly the same hours, in the same jobs, and were of the same age, ethnicity, and background. This suggests that pay discrimination is still a significant issue across UK workplaces.
The Fawcett Society emphasises the need for an intersectional approach to closing the pay gap, taking into account the pay disparities experienced by Black, minoritised, and disabled women.
The charity cites ONS data, showing that pay gaps for women of Bangladeshi (28.4%), Pakistani (25.9%), and Mixed White and Black Caribbean (25%) are significantly higher than for white British men.
As Jemima Olchawski, Fawcett Society CE, tells GLAMOUR, “The ethnicity pay gap is creating double trouble for Black and minoritised women. The figures that we have are stark. Women of Bangladeshi heritage are earning, on average, almost a third less per hour than white British men - this should be a national outrage.
“We need urgent intervention to close these huge gaps so that no woman, regardless of background, is left behind. Mandatory gender pay gap reporting has been important in exposing the gender pay gap, and we are urging government to make reporting on the basis of ethnicity mandatory as well. But we must go further, and ensure that companies with persistent gaps are required to publish action plans for closing them, and held to account when they do not.”
Harriet Harman, Chair of the Fawcett Society, adds, “While the gender pay gap remains a serious challenge as shown by our research, it's very encouraging to see the government taking action towards closing it. Our first female Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ commitment to tackling this inequality head-on is impressive. The government’s recognition of the importance of flexible work, the need for affordable childcare, and addressing pay discrimination are all crucial components in achieving real, long-term change.
“It’s clear that closing the gender pay gap will require more than just individual efforts, it requires systemic change, and the government must focus on developing a comprehensive, cross-departmental strategy. By making flexible work the default and ensuring that women have access to the same opportunities as men, we can ensure fairness and that families are better off.
“However, there’s still much more to be done. We need to ensure that these policies are implemented effectively and that they address the needs of the most disadvantaged women, including those facing multiple barriers. The government’s efforts are a step in the right direction, and we must continue to push for the urgent action needed to close the gender pay gap once and for all.”
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
High childcare costs, sexist attitudes, and a lack of flexible working options are forcing mothers out of the workplace.
