Call for action to close Guernsey’s gender pay gap

Figures from PWC in 2023 showed Guernsey's gender pay gap was 16%

Efforts to close Guernsey's gender pay gap should be made before the end of the current political term, according to a deputy.

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller said the States needed to do some "radical rethinking" on the issue.

Business leaders said if nothing was done, the island would continue to lag behind Jersey and the UK.

Figures from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in 2023 showed Guernsey's gender pay gap was 16%.

More 'Family-friendly' policies

The gender pay gap is described as the difference in average, or median, earnings between women and men in similar roles.

Ms Kazantseva-Miller urged businesses, the community and the government to prioritise the issue and push more "family-friendly" government policies.

Evelyn Brady, partner and Guernsey office leader from PWC Channel Islands, said if the States intervened now, it would prevent the gap from widening and would also have a positive impact on the island's economy.

She said the island needed to utilise what it already had, by upskilling, and encourage people to be economically active.

'Very worrying'

In PWC's Women in Work Index in 2023 Guernsey was rated 16th out of the 33 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for its gender pay gap.

Jersey was rated as 15th, with Luxembourg coming top.

PWC said the index comprised of indicators "that reflect female economic empowerment" and included equality of earnings, the ability of women to access employment opportunities and job security.

Leyla Yildirim, PWC chief strategy officer, said: "Our sense is that in 12 months' time, we may see Guernsey slipping down the index and it's very worrying, making the island a less attractive place to do business."

The States of Guernsey's Data & Analysis department said changes were "under way".

It said: "Data which feeds into published statistics for the island comes from a number of sources and some additional data will begin to be collected alongside data relating to secondary pensions, which become mandatory on 1 July this year, with a phased introduction that starts with larger employers.

"This will contribute to more comprehensive data, including but not limited to, data on differences in pay, while keeping the obligations for employers as simple as possible."