Gender Pay Gap
Policing is changing. Our 2023 Gender Pay Gap information shows that over recent years the people we are attracting into policing and our workforce is becoming more diverse and it’s no longer just a job for the boys.
The 2023 data shows that we have a 50/50 balance of genders within our frontline officer workforce which was almost unimaginable a generation ago.
That challenge has now shifted and it’s about removing barriers and supporting our female workforce to progress their careers into senior leadership. Our Gender/Ethnicity Pay Gap Action Plan supports us to do this.
The Equality Act 2010 requires Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to publish our gender pay gap figures every year.
The gender pay gap is a measure of difference between men and women’s average earnings across an organisation. It is calculated as a percentage of men’s earnings. These figures take into consideration both part-time and full-time employees.
Reporting on our gender pay gap helps us to understand the distribution across work roles and levels of seniority for both women and men in our workforce.
The gender pay gap does not mean that we pay different genders different amounts for doing the same role. It simply helps us to recognise the disproportionality that exists in terms of the link between gender and seniority of position.
The median pay gap figure is the most commonly used figure in gender pay gap reporting as this is the one most reliable way to represent the experience of the average employee in an organisation.
The mean pay gap figure, when viewed alongside pay quartile information, is most useful to identify where there is a disproportionate distribution of officers and staff across ranks and grades. By identifying where there these gaps exist the Constabulary take action to remove barriers that may hinder progression.
Gender pay gap
A comparison between mean and median hourly pay for all women and men within the force. Both full time and part time employees.
Median gender pay gap
This is the difference between the median (middle) value of hourly pay rates (when ordered from lowest to highest) for all men in an organisation, and the median value of hourly pay rates for all women, expressed as a percentage of the median hourly rate for men.
Mean gender pay gap
This is the difference between the mean (average) hourly pay rate for all men in an organisation, and the mean hourly pay rate for all women, expressed as a percentage of the mean hourly rate for men.
Median bonus pay gap
This is the difference between the median (middle) values of bonuses (when ordered from lowest to highest) for all men in an organisation and the median value of bonuses for all women, as a percentage of the median bonus for men.
Mean bonus pay gap
This is the difference between the mean (average) value of bonuses for all men in an organisation and the mean value of bonuses for all women, expressed as a percentage of the mean bonus for men.
25% (quartile) pay distribution
The proportion of men and women in each 25% (quartile) of an employer’s pay structure.
Bonuses
This refers to specific payments applied to roles due to skill set. Particularly for officers the figures reflect that we need to increase the number of females in specialist roles, particularly firearms.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary gender pay gap (as of March 2023)
|
|
Total officers and Staff |
Police Officers |
Police Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean Gender Pay Gap |
9.5% |
7.3% |
5.7% |
|
Mean Gender Bonus Gap |
19.9% |
11.8% |
-28.9% |
|
Median Gender Pay Gap |
20.1% |
2.2% |
4.2% |
|
Male Employees Received a Bonus |
14.9% |
18.8% |
5.7% |
|
Median Gender Bonus Gap |
20% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
Female Employees Received a Bonus |
9.4% |
13.6% |
5.8% |
|
Quartile |
Male Officers |
Female Officers |
Male Staff |
Female Staff |
All Male |
All Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Upper |
71.4% |
28.6% |
44% |
56% |
66.6% |
34.4% |
|
Upper Middle |
65.3% |
34.7% |
41.6% |
58.4% |
56% |
44% |
|
Lower Middle |
62.4% |
37.6% |
39.5% |
60.5% |
45.1% |
54.9% |
|
Lower |
49.6% |
50.4% |
21.7% |
78.3% |
40.1% |
59.9% |
|
Total |
62% |
38% |
37% |
63% |
52% |
48% |
Looking Ahead
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary as of March 31st 2023 hold a median pay difference of 20.1%. This has increased by 0.7% from 19.4% in 2022.
This median figure reflects a greater proportion of men in senior roles and is reflective of the fact that in previous generations men were more likely to join policing than women. This is now no longer the case as shown by the almost 50/50 split of gender in our lower quartile, created by a far more balanced recruitment of women in recent years. Our challenge is to support the equality of representation seen in junior ranks now to progress into all levels of seniority.
Reporting data that combines both police officer and police staff groups complicates the detailed understanding of the information, as police officer roles are more highly paid than police staff colleagues. Disparities within both groups with greater numbers of men in senior police officer roles and greater number of women at all police staff levels.
It is easy to get lost in the numbers when exploring the Gender Pay Gap data. At Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary we are committed to understanding why and where this disparity exists, with the aim to then reduce it.
Our Gender / Ethnicity Pay Gap Action Plan
|
Area |
Description |
Action |
|---|---|---|
|
Leadership |
Are we committed? |
Role modelling & consistent clear messaging from our senior leaders. Mandatory Inclusion Matters training for all ranks and a strong focus on the performance benefits of Equality and Inclusion to managers and supervisors. |
|
Recruitment |
Are we attractive and fair? |
Community outreach, Positive Action Team, removing barriers via Inclusive recruitment practices. |
|
Development/Progression |
Are we supportive? |
Building a diverse talent pipeline via development support, Positive Action initiatives and targeted interventions. |
|
Environment |
Do our structures/systems help everyone to thrive? |
Working with our Staff Networks to identify and challenge old thinking and practices. Rooting out attitudes with no place in policing via our Professional Standards Department. Seeking to understand the experience of individuals through “Our Survey”. |