Gender pay gap report

Oxford City Council is required by law to publish an annual gender pay gap report. The require information has been published on the Government’s website.

Our gender pay gap details for the snapshot date of 31st March 2018 are below.

• Mean gender pay gap (basic pay) is -0.7%.
• Median gender pay gap (basic pay) is 0%
• Mean gender bonus gap is - 6.3%
• Median gender bonus gap is 0%
• Proportion of male employees receiving a bonus is 84.6%
• Proportion of female employees receiving a bonus is 82.7%

Pay quartiles by gender

The Council does has a very small gender pay gap in favour of females in relation to basic pay. There is no median gender bonus pay gap.

There is reported pay gap in relation to Bonus. The calculations above are in accordance with the prescribed methodology. They are not reflective of actual position within the Council. Bonus payments primarily relate to annual Partnership Payments paid to eligible employees in accordance with the Partnership Payment Scheme arrangements and a commission payment.

The partnership payment is a set lump sum, which is abated to working hours for part timers. The maximum payment under the Partnership Payment Scheme for a full time employee was £500.  This scheme ended on 31 March 2018, with the final payment being made in July 2018.

The Commission Payment scheme provides a system of financial reward to eligible staff who secure new commercial contracts for Direct Services. The commission payments made to staff are determined in accordance with the scheme’s rules, and approved by a senior manager in Direct Services.

The mean gender bonus pay gap in favour of females is as a result of a commission payment to one female member of staff. There is no median gender bonus pay gap.

Comparison with Previous Gender Pay Gap Report

This is the second year of Gender Pay Gap reporting. In comparison with last year’s report there has been a marginal change in the gender pay gap for mean basic pay which is marginally in favour of females. This is based on information at a point in time and will therefore vary to some degree. However the variation is so small and close to the target of zero as to indicate that the Council does not have a gender pay gap.

The mean gender bonus pay gap has remained the same, whereas the median gender bonus gap has reduced to zero. This positive change in the median is reflective of the increased number of staff that received a Partnership Payment in this year.

As indicated in last year’s statement the method that has to be used to calculate the bonus gender pay gap does not reflect the actual position within the Council as it a fixed sum which is abated for part time hours. The gender bonus pay gap when based on the whole time equivalent payment and removing the effect of one commission payment is -2.0% which, although still in favour of females, is much closer to the target of zero.

The Partnership Payment scheme ended on 31 March 2018.  The final payment was made in July 2018 and will therefore be included in the report as at 31 March 2019.