Gender Pay Gap 2021
This is our 5th year of gender pay gap reporting and we have continued to see year-on-year decreases in both our mean and median figures due to the interventions we have planned and implemented.
As an employee owned company we take our responsibilities to make improvements across our organisation seriously and involving different internal stakeholders in these decisions and processes. These include our Board of Directors, Senior Leadership Team, Employee Forum, Stride Together (our inclusion & diversity group), and our social value group.
Addressing our gender pay gap is a continual process of analysis and intervention.
This report reviews the pay period of April 2021 (as a snapshot), and the bonus period of May 2020 to April 2021. During this reporting period the economy and our organisation were affected by the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. For this report the number of our employees on the UK governments Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) was very limited, with one employee on furlough, so our reporting figures are more in line with pre-pandemic employment patterns.
To ensure a fair comparison with the 2020 figures (which were affected more significantly by those on furlough during the period), we will compare our 2021 figures with those who were excluded from our last report due to furlough and also for additional transparency, we compare our gender pay gap for 2020 as if none of our staff were furloughed. We believe that this gives a more accurate picture of our underlying progress towards closing the gap.
Stride Treglown’s gender (2021 demographic)
Stride Treglown’s Architects (2021 demographic)
Stride Treglown’s Architects who are 30 and under (2021 demographic)
ARB UK registered Architect (2020 demographic)
ARB UK Register Architects who are 30 and under (2020 demographic)
ARB December 2020 Report.
(The ARB 2021 report is no longer available so we have used the 2020 figures)
Understanding the Gap
We believe our average gender pay gap is primarily caused by having fewer women at senior grades in our business.
Increasing female representation in senior roles and grades constitutes a major focus for our efforts in reducing our gender pay gap.
What we’re doing about it
Since the beginning of gender gap reporting in 2017 our Board of Directors, Stride Together (our Inclusion group), and Employee Forum have continually reflected on our inclusive culture, demographics, pay, and benefits across the organisation.
- In February 2021 we proudly achieved a B Corp certification, becoming the first architectural practice in the AJ100 and one of only a handful of firms in the UK within the built environment sector to join a growing, purpose driven community. This will mean that we will be held accountable to the highest standards on an ongoing basis. One of the key impact areas is “Workers” which will ensure that we measure, and improve the opportunities, and experience of our employees at Stride Treglown. It will be a journey of constant improvement.
- Our gender balanced Promotion and Salary panel has continued to meet and review salaries across the organisation. The panel’s role is to ensure that employees are considered for promotions and annual salary increases equally and without bias.
- As we returned from Covid-19 restrictions we listened to employee feedback and through consultation on our working hours, hybrid, agile, and flexible working, and parental pay offering. We have:
- Reduced our core hours to 10am and 3pm. This change will allow for greater work / life balance and flexibility for caring responsibilities.
- Created a Hybrid, Agile, and Flexible Working Policy to allow employees long term flexibility of location of work through conversations and agreement with their local teams.
- Increased maternity pay to include 100% for 6 weeks, and 10 weeks at 50% pay (from the existing statutory amounts).
Hourly Pay Gap
(April 2021)
Our mean and median hourly pay gap has continued to decrease over the 5 years of UK gender pay gap reporting. The overall difference between men’s and women’s hourly pay based on a snapshot on the 5th April 2021 is 15.9% (mean) and 18.6% (median). These percentages exclude those individuals on furlough or other forms of reduced pay.
In our previous gender pay report we highlighted how furlough had artificially decreased our gender pay gap by a percentage point compared to reporting on everyone employed by the company during the 2020 reporting period.
The difference we had to report in our 2020 gender pay report, at the UK governments guidance to remove those on furlough, was 15.3% (mean) and 18.9% (median) but as reported for comparison at the time, we believe a more accurate gap was 16.5% (mean) and 20% (median).
When we compare pay for equal or similar work across our organisation the gap is significantly lower. However, factors such as our geographic spread, our broad range of consultancy expertise and relatively small size when compared to other organisations reporting make direct like for like comparison of pay equality difficult.
Gender Pay Gap – Hourly Mean & Median
Pay Quartiles based on hourly pay – Percentage of Male and Female Employees in the different pay bands (A to D).
(April 2021)
A (Lowest)
B
C
D (Highest)
Bonus Pay Gap
(April 2020 – 2021)
The difference in bonus pay between men and women during the year April 2020 to April 2021 reflects the way in which a proportion of profit is distributed as bonuses, among equity directors, the majority of whom are male.
The difference between mean and median bonus pay gap figures reflects the proportion of profit distribution to the equity directors, the majority of whom are male.
Eligibility for Bonus
(April 2020 – April 2021)
Bonus eligibility represents a snapshot from 2020 to 2021. All staff are eligible for a bonus if they have been here during the previous financial year. These numbers represent a period where certain members of staff were new to the company.
In this period 13.3% of male employees and 14.8% of female were ineligible for bonuses, if we exclude those individuals on furlough, other forms of reduced pay, or as they were new arrivals to the business. This explains the differential in eligibility percentages for the year.
If the same number of male and female employees had joined the business during this period and those on furlough or other forms of reduced pay were not excluded from the numbers, there would have been no differential.
The directors of the practice, both male and female, are paid at the same level. Their individual salary is 5.8 times that of the lowest paid employee at full time equivalent (FTE).
In accordance with The Equality Act (2010) (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017. I confirm the gender pay gap data contained in this report for Stride Treglown Limited is accurate and has been produced in accordance with the guidance on managing gender pay developed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Service (ACAS). Pierre Wassenaar, Chair for Stride Treglown Ltd.