While female representation across the maritime industry seems to have remained stable this year globally, there has been a slight increase in the size of the maritime gender pay gap in the UK, with a current gap of 43%, latest figures by Spinnaker’s Maritime HR Association reveal.
Spinnaker’s Maritime HR Association shared their gender pay gap statistics for 2020 with WISTA UK members. The pay gap was calculated using data by Maritime HR Association members, following recent publication of the shore-based salary reports.
Female representation in the industry accounted for a 42% female workforce globally and a 52% in the UK specifically.
However, after reporting a slow and steady decline in previous years, there was a slight increase in the size of the maritime gender pay gap in the UK.
The 2020 analysis found a mean gap of nearly 43%. In salary terms, this is equivalent to an average male salary of £67,000, compared to £38,500 for females,
…Spinnaker Global says.
The figures show that, as an industry, maritime remains very far behind the rest of the UK – with provisional figures for 2020 suggesting an overall gap of just under 15%.
Bonuses don’t seem to be as hard hit just yet, but with many members reporting bonus payments that had been agreed earlier in the year (prior to the full effect of COVID-19) it may be 2021 before the full impact will be seen.
The bonus gap itself has reduced slightly this year, with a median gap of 58%. Any reductions that have been seen in the number of bonus payments made overall has been evenly spread across the genders.
However, we continue to find male employees in the UK receiving larger bonus payments as well as being more likely to receive anything at all.
See also: Talking about the gender pay gap in shipping
Overall, the potential impact of the new pandemic reality on gender diversity should not be underestimated, Spinnaker says.
We’re entering a worsening labour market where businesses are having to make some very big decisions, as well as cultural and behavioural shifts – lots of small changes are being made to adjust existing people management processes and suit new ways of working. There is lots of scope in among all this change for certain minority groups to be both positively encouraged and engaged, but also disadvantaged.
Specifically, reports reveal that 17-year-old women were most likely to be furloughed; , while redundancies are a harsh reality too.
It’s not all doom and gloom though; flexible and home working that was previously considered impossible or impractical has been proven to work for so many of us…The improved work life balance arising (benefitting both men and women) should also drive new career opportunities for women that may not otherwise have been feasible.
