Diageo has reported an improvement in the combined median gender pay gap to +4% for its businesses in Great Britain and Scotland in 2019, from +5.4% last year.
It is lower than the national average median pay gap of +17.3% reported by the ONS (Office for National Statistics), the drinks giant said.
Increase In Female Representation
In Scotland, the median hourly pay gap improved to +16.4% from +18% last year, reflecting an increase in female representation across more senior roles.
During the period, 60% of promotions, 64% of middle management hires, 55% of graduate and 100% of director-level appointments were female, Diageo said.
The median pay gap in Scotland, where the majority of roles are in 24/7 manufacturing business, is affected by the lower number of women opting for shift allowances for unsociable hours.
The company has implemented measures such as scholarships and internships in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing) subjects to improve the gender balance in various roles in its Scottish business.
Diageo Great Britain saw the median pay gap improve to -14.8% this year, from -12.6% in 2018.
The company has attributed the improvement to an increase in the representation of women in middle and senior-level positions.
Other Initiatives
In April of this year, Diageo introduced 26 weeks paid parental leave for all UK employees, regardless of gender. The policy was later rolled out in its global markets in May 2019.
In 2019, the company achieved its 2020 target of placing women candidates in 35% of its global senior leadership roles, according to the gender pay report.
Female representation on the company's board increased to 44% during this period and Diageo was ranked sixth in the 2019 Hampton Alexander review for women on Boards.
It emerged second in the Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters) Global Diversity and Inclusion Index and first for gender equality at a global level by Equileap.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
