JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 65

I N C LUS I O N

all college/university entrants in the West are women, so maybe we'll
equip them with the tools needed to shatter that glass ceiling for good.

Gender pay gap

People with disabilities are twice as likely to be
unemployed than those without. What should businesses
be doing about this?
The first thing that is required is the right attitude at the top of an
organisation, coupled with a fair and transparent recruitment process.
The leadership needs to support and champion inclusion, as well as
offering the right level of training and support.
There are some basic issues that often need addressing, like access
and facilities. But very often it is just pure attitude. A disability should
not be a barrier to getting a good job and having the career you want.

Fewer than one in 10 management jobs in the UK are held
by members of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME)
groups.* What can be done to encourage more companies
to promote their BAME employees?

IMAGES IAN HARRISON, SHUTTERSTOCK *SOURCE: CHARTERED MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

I think this is the same issue as encouraging more women into
leadership roles, as we are talking about the promotion of professional
minorities. Firstly, it's about being willing to want to do so. But it is also
about mentoring and encouraging people so they want to be promoted
and know how to upskill to get the promotion they want.

Diversity is good for business
- employees feel good about
working for an organisation
that treats everyone fairly
You have brought in a more diverse workforce where you
work. Do you think having a mixture of people working in
a company is good for business?
We all know diversity and inclusion is good for business. Employees
feel good about working in an organisation that treats everyone fairly
and shares the same values, and customers like supporting a business
that has a greater sense of purpose.
Business is also important in the community - it can be a force for
good and set examples for others to follow, as well as changing policy,
attitudes and campaigning for change. If a business has a great
attitude towards diversity, it can change people's ideas, perceptions
and encourage more people to be diverse and inclusive.

When do you think women will be treated the same as
men when it comes to pay?
There remains a 18% pay discrepancy between the genders,
eight years after the passing of the Equality Act and 48 years after
the Equal Pay Act. It was recently reported that it will take 100 years
to close the gap entirely.
The pay gap starts early in life and has unjust consequences and
takes its toll ultimately on women's working lives. We need to highlight
bad practices as well as ensure that women do not accept lower
salaries. I recently did a documentary for Channel 5, Why Do Men Earn
More Than Women?, which explored how this happens, where and why
it occurs and what can be done to resolve it. If I have my way, we won't
be waiting 100 years!

You've spoken about how important it is
for the BBC to close its gender pay gap.
Why do you think this issue should be
resolved as soon as possible?
There's no denying that when it comes to women's
rights in the workplace, we've come a long way since
the 1970s. We have paid maternity leave and sexual
harassment is illegal. Progress, right? There's just one
problem: women who work still earn less than men.
The UK-wide pay gap is just over 18% [for part-time
and full-time workers], according to the Office for
National Statistics. And, as we've learned, nowhere is
this more present than at the BBC, which was forced to
reveal the salaries of those earning over £150,000.
The facts are stark: two-thirds of people on that list
are male. The top seven earners are male. More
shocking is the discrepancy in pay between men and
women doing effectively the same job. Newsnight
presenter Emily Maitlis isn't on the list because she
earns less than £150,000 a year, while her Newsnight
counterpart, Evan Davis, earns up to £299,999.
The BBC was reluctant to publish these figures but
sometimes naming and shaming is the only way to
effect change. Now this information is out in the open
it has nowhere to hide - and I think some kind of
change will be forced. After all, all the other changes
have happened because women have made them. We
pushed and we argued and we campaigned for change
and - clearly - we've got to keep on pushing. It's only
when people realise how unequal things are and
challenge it that things change.
Part of the issue is that men expect more. Chris
Evans and his agent obviously believe he's worth
over £2m, otherwise he wouldn't be on that salary.
So, I hope this story has been a catalyst for all women
at the BBC to make a call to their agent!
Obviously, this isn't just happening at the BBC and
this should be a call to action. Wherever you work,
if you suspect your male colleagues are earning
more than you, ask your boss for a rise. And ask
with confidence - if you don't expect your worth,
nobody else will do it for you.
J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 6 5



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018

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