Gender pay equality is top priority for Irish firms in 2023

New year, new equal pay priorities for PwC,  Iarnród Éireann, eir and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council and others

Many Irish companies have been quick to reduce gender pay gaps since the The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 came into operation on May 31, 2022. A number of companies had taken actions ahead of the act's introduction.

Reducing the gender pay gap is priority No1 for many high-profile Irish companies, as evidenced by a series of in-house reports both measuring the gaps and outlining action plans.

This New Year seal is, of course, largely inspired by The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021, which came into operation on May 31, 2022, initially obliging organisations with over 250 employees to conduct gender pay disparity reports.

In Ireland, the differential between the average pay of males and females within an organisation averages 14%. Heeding the early warnings, some state-backed companies have been quick to reduce their gaps.

PwC Ireland’s latest gender pay gap report revealed an average gender pay gap of less than 1% (0.9%). PwC issued its first gender pay gap report in 2019, reporting a gap for 2018 of 5.7% between male and female pay.

Feargal O’Rourke, managing partner with PwC Ireland, said: “At PwC we have been reporting on our gender pay gap and our related action plan and inclusion and diversity journey since 2019, being one of the first Irish businesses to do so.

“We reported ahead of legislation, based on methodology similar to the UK model as we believed this was the right thing to do. Our report demonstrates the positive impact of having been transparent about our data and the actions we are taking to foster an inclusive and gender-balanced firm.” 

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council’s report for 2022 shows a mean gender pay gap of -3.04% and a median gender pay gap of -7.99%. The local authority said that publishing this data helps to reinforce its focus on supporting an open and inclusive workplace.

The authority said that it is committed to providing a positive and supportive environment for employees. The Council offers flexible and family-friendly arrangements, blended working, and great career progression and education opportunities.

Figures from the Iarnród Éireann report on its gender pay gap. In the traditionally male-dominated public transport sector, Iarnród Éireann is taking significant steps towards pay equality, diversity and inclusion.

Meanwhile, Iarnród Éireann’s latest data shows a gender pay gap of 6.32% for the mean hourly rate in favour of women. The rail company highlights increased representation of women across all roles in the organisation as a key target.

The company also notes that as representation in operational roles across train operations and infrastructure management increases, the gender pay gap is likely to narrow in the years ahead.

Jim Meade, CEO of Iarnród Éireann, said: “This essential Act has given us the opportunity to forensically investigate our commitment to our female employee base, analyse organisational trends and statistics, and identify areas for improvement.

“Iarnród Éireann is on an ambitious journey to develop rail as the backbone of a sustainable transport system, and there can be no question that developing and championing our people is an essential part of our approach. Increased representation of women in our workforce is a priority.” 

Public transport is historically male-dominated. With 11.2% of Iarnród Éireann’s 4,231 employees women on the reporting date (June 19, 2022), the company is targeting a doubling in the number of female workers by 2030.

With 18% of the workforce expected to retire over the next five years, Iarnród Éireann aims to improve female representation in roles such as driving, station, permanent way, signalling, and engineering.

Initiatives in place include a number of female-focused talent and career development programmes, namely the Women in Leadership Programme and the Women in Rail Network, winners of CIPD HR awards.

The rail network’s CIPD-accredited Graduate Programme has seen 34% female recruitment. The company has also engaged with secondary schools, encouraging girls to considering rail network career choices.

The company’s Try a Trade Programme hosts school visits to Inchicore Works’ apprentice workshops encouraging female students to “try a trade”. Iarnród Éireann is also a travel partner with iWish, a group promoting STEM subjects to teenage girls.

Meanwhile, telecoms firm eir has also issued its second Gender Pay Gap Report highlighting that it has reduced its gender pay gap to 7.18%, a more than one-third reduction from the prior 11.2% gap.

The company had earlier published its first gender pay gap data for 2021, a year ahead of the legal requirement to do so. The closing of the gender pay gap form’s part of eir’s inclusion and diversity strategy.

The phone company’s fertility policy gives paid time off to employees undergoing fertility treatment, while its pregnancy loss policy provides paid leave to people experiencing a loss of a pregnancy, and also offers supports for employees relating to menopause and domestic violence.

eir has also designed and launched an apprentice programme to help build a more diverse pipeline of talent, including an emphasis on attracting more women into STEM roles.

Oliver Loomes, CEO of eir, said: “At eir, we have a proud heritage as a great employer in Ireland and we are committed to ensuring that our workforce continues to reflect the diversity of modern Irish society for generations to come. The tremendous success we have had in achieving a major reduction in our gender pay gap over such a short period proves the old adage true: what gets measured gets managed.

“We recognise that there is more to do and, as I start my second year as chief executive of eir in 2023, I reaffirm my commitment to reducing this gap further in the coming years.”