Gender Pay Gap
Shrinking the gender pay gap
In March 2021 we were proud to announce that we are the only police force in the country to now employ more women than men taking officer and staff numbers combined. We have also seen a 10% increase in the number of female police officers in the last 12 months.
Our latest Gender Pay Gap Report published in March 2020 shows that men and women are paid equally at every grade, however there are still more males at senior positions, meaning higher paid roles. Although we are pleased with these results, we’re committed to shrinking the pay gap even further by attracting more females to senior positions within the Force.
Foreword to the 2020 Report
Introduction
I am pleased to publish our fourth Gender Pay Gap Report for the year to the end of March 2020. This annual report provides gender equality information specific to Wiltshire Police staff and officers. You can download the 2020 report and the 2019, 2018 and 2017 reports on this page.
It forms part of our commitment to become more diverse in our workforce and reflect the communities we serve. One way we can ensure this happens is to show, through open and honest reporting, how we are doing year-on-year.
It is also a legal requirement, under the Equality Act 2010, to conduct an annual audit of our employees to show how different genders make up our workforce and the pay received within our organisation.
This report - published on 30 March 2021 - is a snapshot for the previous year on the pay gap between what men and women earn on 31 March 2020.
The report shows the percentage difference between mean (average) and median (mid-point) hourly earnings of men and woman in the workplace. This is a different concept to equal pay - it is unlawful to pay people unequally because they are a man or a woman. Men and women are paid equally at every grade in Wiltshire Police. However, if one gender dominates higher pay-graded roles then this results in a gender pay gap.
Traditionally, policing was a very male-dominated profession. Wiltshire Police has made great strides in recent times, thanks to the positive moves being made across the Force, but we still strive for more female representation across the ranks.
Median Gender Pay Gap for 2020
The median gender pay gap as at 31 March 2020 was 9.09%. This is a welcome decrease from 10.96% in our 2019 report, and testament to the hard work being carried out within the Force.
Nationally the gender pay gap among all full pay relevant employees fell by 1.9%, down from 17.9% in 2019 to 15.5% in 2020. Wiltshire Police's decrease is a sign of further progress, but will not prompt complacency.
We’ve come a long way in recent times and now employ more women than men when you look at staff and officer roles together – 1,101 men and 1,140 women as at 31 March 2020. A first for the Force.
Achievements in the last 12 months
- Achieving a decrease in the median pay gap to 9.09% in 2020, compared to 10.96% the previous year.
- A significant 10% increase in the number of female officers than the previous year, up from 344 in 2019 to 380 in 2020 - with more coming through the training pathway.
- We appointed Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith to the Executive Leadership Team, after she came through Wiltshire's ranks.
- Targeted recruitment campaigns to dispel myths surrounding perceived barriers and blockers to a career in policing for females, encouraging more women to apply to be officers or apply for promotion.
- More females in staff and officer roles for the first time.
Although we have many females in senior roles, we can always do more and are not complacent. Gender balance within our organisation has been, and continues to be, a priority for me and my senior team.