Sector must act to close gender pay gap, BVA president warns

The BVA’s president Malcolm Morley has told the profession to “get its house in order” after new analysis revealed huge disparities in pay between male and female staff.

Analysis of the annual gender pay gap service reports, compiled by the BBC, found nearly 80% of firms across all sectors still pay men more than women.

The overall median pay gap of 9.4% is the same as it was when mandatory reporting was first introduced for larger companies five years ago.

Bigger problem

But the service’s figures indicate the problem in the veterinary sector is much bigger, with several companies reporting gaps of at least 40% in median hourly pay.

All companies with more than 250 staff are required to submit an annual report on the issue.

Dr Morley said he was encouraged by the broad engagement with the BVA’s recently published guide on tackling pay issues.

‘Disappointing reading’

But Dr Morley admitted: “This report makes for extremely disappointing reading.

“While the gender pay gap nationally is as large as it was five years ago, it’s even more concerning that no meaningful progress has been made in addressing this fundamental inequality within the veterinary sector. The veterinary profession has work to do to get its house in order on this issue.

“SPVS’ recent salary survey showed there is a gender pay gap for vets as early as the first two years after graduation, meaning that women in the profession are playing salary catch-up right from the outset of their career.”

Keystones

Dr Morley added: “We acknowledge that calculating the gender pay gap is complicated – particularly in workplaces where some roles are predominantly carried out by women or where women outnumber men at the earlier career stages of a profession.

“However fair, transparent and equal pay is one of the keystones of good veterinary workplaces – and, therefore, it’s vital employers tackle this issue head on.”

Vet Times will publish a full report and reaction in a future issue.