Irish Rail

Jan 4, 2023

Currys, Irish Rail, Musgrave and Kerry County Council are among employers where women earn more than men, according to new analysis. Initial findings from research by CIPD Ireland on the first gender pay gap reports also shows several big employers have reported a gender pay gap of zero or near zero per cent. They include Stripe, An Post, Penneys, and the Department of Justice. HR organisation CIPD Ireland says a “significant” number of organisations have gender pay gaps above the Irish average of 11.3pc, although it does not name them. Its preliminary analysis follows Ireland’s first period of mandatory gender pay gap reporting that took place last month under new legislation. Organisations with 250 or more employees were required to publish details of the difference in male and female staff’s earnings for the first time in December. Those with 150 and more workers will report for the first time next year, and those with 50 or more employees in 2025. The gender pay gap is the difference in the average hourly wage of all men and all women in the total workforce at an organisation, regardless of their roles. It does not necessarily mean they are being paid different rates for the same job. There is a legal obligation on employers to pay males and females the same rate of pay for doing equal work. Read More Sign Up The organisation said the country’s inaugural period of gender pay gap reporting highlights some encouraging signs about the employment landscape. However, Mary Connaughton, director of CIPD Ireland, said it has identified gaps in information provided by some employers. “Information around rates for part-time workers and bonus payments is lacking in some places as are overall employee numbers and we would encourage employers to address this in order to give as clear a picture as possible of conditions for its workers,” she said. She said companies have made a lot of pledges to set targets for female representation at senior or board level, set up employee resource groups, review recent promotions, and examine the take- up of options such as parental leave or flexible work. “Providing an action plan can reassure employees or prospective recruits that a gender pay gap is being tackled in a meaningful way. The key is to act on these plans and to make progress on the issue to improve workplaces.” Reports published before Christmas revealed significant pay gaps at some employers, including legal firm Mason Hayes and Curran where the differential was 50pc. However, this figure included partners who are self-employed and do not have to be included. When they are excluded, the average gender pay gap was 3pc. Employer group Ibec recorded an average gender pay gap of 29pc, while it is 13.6pc at Siptu. At the ESB, men earn an average 10pc more than women. The average gender pay gap at RTÉ is 11.5pc. Meanwhile, it is unclear if all of the more than 600 organisations who were obliged to report their gender pay gaps in December have done so. A Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth spokesperson said it does not maintain a list of individual employers required to report. She said it does not have a role under the legislation in enforcing compliance, including maintaining a register of employers that have not complied with their responsibilities. The spokesperson said future regulations made under the act may provide for a central website on to which employers will be required to upload their information. She said plans are in place to develop an online reporting system.