UK Gender Pay Gap 2023 - Qioptiq Limited
This is our annual gender pay gap report for the snapshot date of 5 April 2023.
Mean gender pay gap 6.6%
Median gender pay gap 9.9%
Mean gender bonus gap 16.8%
Median gender bonus gap -24.4%
Pay quartiles by gender
This table shows our workforce divided into four equal-sized groups based on hourly pay rate. Band A includes the lowest-paid 25% of employees (the lower quartile) and band D covers the highest-paid 25% (the upper quartile).
| Band | Female % | Male % | What is included in this band? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 23.1 | 76.9 | All employees whose standard hourly rate is within the lower quartile. |
| B | 15.9 | 84.1 | All employees whose standard hourly rate is more than the lower quartile but the same or less than the median. |
| C | 10.3 | 89.7 | All employees whose standard hourly rate is more than the median but the same or less than the upper quartile. |
| D | 12.8 | 87.2 | All employees whose standard hourly rate is within the upper quartile. |
A quartile is one of four equally sized groups created when you divide a selection of numbers that are in ascending order into four. The "lower quartile" is the lowest group. The "upper quartile" is the highest group.
The figures in this table have been calculated using the standard methods used in the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.
Executive Summary
The above gender pay gap results show an improved landscape in comparison to our 2022 Gender Pay Gap report data.
The negative results in the median gender bonus gap reflects that the bonus achievement for senior female employees was comparatively higher than the bonus received by their male counterparts.
The focus of the gender pay gap report is to understand and address concerns in pay differences in the average earnings of males and females, regardless of roles or seniority. We can see from the data shown by quartiles there has been an improvement in Bands B and D. Band D demonstrating an increase in the percentage of females in the highest paid roles.
We remain committed to implementing and consistently delivering our gender positive initiatives, detailed below, we feel this is shown by the further reduction in gender pay gap.
Why do we have a gender pay gap?
Legally, men and women must receive equal pay for:
- the same or broadly similar work
- work rated as equivalent under a job evaluation scheme, or
- work of equal value.
We are committed to equal opportunities and equal treatment for all employees, regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, age, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability. We have a clear policy of paying employees equally for the same or equivalent work, regardless of their sex (or anything else listed above). We:
- carry out regular pay and benefits audits
- provide regular equal pay training for all managers and staff members who are involved in pay reviews, and
- evaluate job roles and pay grades to ensure fairness.
We are confident that our gender pay gap is not because we pay men and women differently for the same or equivalent work. Instead, our gender pay gap is because men and women work in different roles and those roles have different salaries.
Across the UK economy, men are more likely than women to be in senior roles (especially very senior roles at the top of organizations). Men are more likely to be in engineering, technical and IT-related roles, which are paid more highly than other roles at similar levels of seniority. Women are also more likely than men to have had breaks from work that have affected their career progression, for example to bring up children. They are also more likely to work part time, and many of the jobs that are available across the UK on a part-time basis are relatively low paid.
This pattern from the UK economy as a whole is reflected in the make-up of our organization. Most line managers and senior managers are men (87%).
How does our gender pay gap compare with that of others?
The mean gender pay gap for the whole economy (according to the November 2023 Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) figures) is 7.7%. At 6.6%, our mean gender pay gap is lower than the whole economy.
The median gender pay gap for the whole economy (according to the November 2023 ONS ASHE figures) is 12.8%. At 9.9%, our median gender pay gap is lower than the whole economy.
The proportion of male employees receiving a bonus is 4.1% and the proportion of female employees receiving a bonus is 5.5%. Our bonus eligibility is restricted to the most senior roles and sales roles, indicated by the low percentage overall.
What are we doing to address our gender pay gap?
We are continuing to promote gender diversity through activities within the business and external partnerships.
Our focus is to educate, inspire and support our employees as well as the future talent pipeline.
Activities we continue to support include:
- Partnering with local secondary schools and colleges to raise the profile of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
- Ensuring that fair and non-discriminatory processes and practices are used for the recruitment, induction, training and promotion of employees.
- Running a Professional Womens Network within Excelitas Technologies.
- Supporting Women in Defense (UK MoD / Team Forces) activities.
- Promoting a Women in Leadership Program within Excelitas.
- Encouraging apprenticeships and partnering with universities to encourage internships and graduates.
- Supporting employees of with parental responsibilities prior to, during and on return from maternity and other parental leave.
- Utilizing a leading job evaluation system to support a well-structured compensation system with clearly defined pay grades.
- Promoting the flexible working environment and policies
We have plans to extend our date gathering and use gender monitoring to build an evidence base for future actions. This includes understanding where our opportunities lie in recruitment, promotion, flexible working, and employees returning to the workplace.
Reducing and eliminating the gender pay gap is a long-term initiative. We appreciate the difficulties in making improvements in this industry sector, but we are making progress, and we are committed to continuing this improvement.
I, Peter White, Managing Director, confirm that the information in this statement is accurate.
Peter White
Managing Director & VP Land Equipment, Qioptiq Limited
March 2024