The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
Submission - Affinity Dear Deputy Louise Doublet ,
Thank you for your letter dated 13th September, requesting Affinity's views on the gender pay gap. The response below is from the 5 founders of Affinity (4 males and myself). We also notified all staff so they were aware and could respond individually if they chose to do so.
- Do you think there is a gender pay gap in Jersey?
Yes - although it does depend on how you define this. Assuming that it is simply salary comparison, then in highly structured businesses with a published pay-grade system – such as retail banks –there will likely be very little pay gap at clerical grades. The more senior and across companies where roles are less clearly defined, then it is likely the gap increases. The basic take-home salary can mask inequalities in the form of bonuses and other benefits paid.
- Has your company developed any initiatives to ensure a more gender diverse business?
Initiative includes; flexible working hours, training on unconscious bias, equal maternity and paternity benefits, the planned introduction of psychometric tests as part of the recruitment process. We are corporate members of the Diversity Network in Jersey and advocates for change in this space.
- Looking at the composition of your business, are the more senior roles held by mostly males or females?
Males. Of the 9 directors – only 2 are women. See below.
- Other comments
The issues are complex and do not lend themselves to an email response. We would be happy to discuss in more details face-to-face. We do believe the challenge is one of attracting and retaining women to our industry. Gender stereotypes are set at a very young age. By secondary school it is hard to change these. If women consider certain careers as "male" – they are less likely to apply. There is a historic imbalance in senior positions in Jersey - change is going to take a generation, but that is no reason not to do it.