PwC Ireland has cut its gender pay gap from 5.7% in its first report a year ago to 4.7% in 2020.

The business services provider was first of the ‘Big Four’ Irish accountancy firms to commit to publishing gender gap results, as part of a gender pay action plan it introduced.

The latest report says that most of its existing pay gap is now accounted for by the fact that there are more men in senior roles in the business, reflected in the rather larger bonus pay gap of 8.8%, down from 11.8% last year.

It says that the key factors narrowing the gender pay gap in 2020 can be attributed to a slight shift in the make-up of the firm’s headcount, such as an increase in representation of females at the most senior level by 2%, along with the gender pay gap action plan coming into effect, including a more robust application of a gender pay lens throughout the performance and salary review cycle.

People partner Emma Scott said: “We remain confident that men and women in our organisation are paid equally for doing equivalent jobs across our business.

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“Our plan for 2020 will be to further progress our gender pay gap action plan, with specific focus on improving the representation of females at the very senior levels in the firm.

“Continuing to apply a ‘gender lens’ to all recruitment activities will also be critical. While understanding the numbers is key for us, it’s also about holding ourselves accountable to our plan. Ultimately, it’s all about creating an inclusive culture while engaging proactively with our people.”

Managing partner Feargal O’Rourke (pictured) added: “At PwC we believe in being transparent about our gender pay gap and the journey we are on.  Diversity and inclusion is something that is core to our culture. It’s good to report that we are progressing well against our gender pay gap action plan, resulting in a reduction in our pay and bonus gaps from last year.  

“Even more important is the continuing conversation we’re having across the firm about delivery and the practical actions we can take.”

The gender pay gap is the differential between the average pay of males and females within an organisation. Overall, Ireland’s gender pay gap is estimated at an average of 14%.

The full report is available here, including detail of the key aspects of the gender pay action plan, which include:

• Senior leadership commitment: PwC’s leadership team is committed to pay parity for their people and ensuring that insights from the gender pay gap analysis are addressed over time through the execution of its action plan.
• Gender focus on recruitment activity: PwC is ensuring that its recruitment processes, from graduates to experienced hires, are open and attractive to all.
• Learning and development: PwC will continue to develop their people and ensure a gender balanced and inclusive mix of talent.
• Allocation of work: PwC will focus on providing equal opportunities for career enhancing roles and review the gender balance on career defining engagements.
• Appraisal and reward: PwC will continue to apply a diversity lens to its appraisal and reward process.

For comparison, the 2019 report is available here.