In 1970 the Equal Pay Act was passed, and then, men and women earned equal salaries… Right?
Wrong.
It may have been over 47 years since the Equal Pay Act was passed, but the gender pay gap is still a pressing issue in today’s society. On average, women across the UK are paid 14.1% less than men each year; meaning that from Friday 10th November 2017, women essentially started working for free for the rest of the year!
“The gender gap is persisting, but so must we” – Fawcett Society
Even some of the nation’s favourite female stars have fallen victim to the gender pay gap. Earlier this year, two of our favourite morning TV presenters, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Scofield were under the limelight when it was revealed Holly was paid approximately £200,000 less than her male This Morning co-presenter, Phillip Scofield. Whilst ITV have now awarded Holly a pay rise to account for the difference, we can’t help but raise the question… Why weren’t they paid equally all along?
As we continue to encourage women to consider franchising, we think the gap can be closed quicker, as we help more women take control of their income by choosing to run their own businesses. In the long run this can also help many women take more control of their work-life balance, making it easier for women to achieve their dreams – whatever they may look like.
But for those already in franchising, how can we be different? For women across our industry, we are already breaking through the “glass ceiling” of what a business owner looks like. The next step is to break the glass ceiling affecting pay, even who we hire. A man doesn’t necessarily have the automatic authority.
In franchising, we can buck the trend! With the rise in the number of women stepping into franchising, we can reduce the gender pay gap within our own companies. Ensuring someone is paid fairly, according to what they do, based on their skills, qualifications and experiences.
In franchising, we break the rules then re-write them! For many women in franchising, we don’t just break the rules, we reinvent them. Who says women can’t be entrepreneurs! Why not the same with the gender pay gap among our franchisees and employees. Have a look among your franchisees, your staff, your networks… are we being fair or are we adding to the gender pay gap.
In franchising, we can disrupt the statistics! Who says it has to take until 2069 for the pay gap between men and women to become equal?! Within our industry, we can reduce the pay gap much quicker, and shake up the statistics across all sectors.
Over to you: Are there differences in your franchise, or are people paid according to their skills and experiences? Have you ever looked into closing the gender pay gap, if there is?