Springer Nature reports mixed gender pay gap figures

Springer Nature has said there is "more to do" after reporting a mixed bag of figures in its latest gender pay gap disclosures for UK employees.

The publisher cut its median gender pay gap to 13.95% in the latest set of statistics filed, which date to 5th April 2018. In the previous year's figures the publisher's median pay gap - which is calculated by ranking all employees from the highest paid to the lowest paid, and taking the hourly wage of the person in the middle - stood at 15.21%.

But Springer Nature shaved less off its mean hourly pay difference between male and female employees -  calculated as the average hourly wage across the entire organisation - which stands at 17.25% in the latest report, a decrease of just 0.36% year on year (17.61% the previous year).

According to the Office for National Statistics, the national median gender pay gap for full-time and part-time staff (excluding overtime) is currently 17.9% and the mean 17.1%.

While a higher percentage of Springer Nature UK women than men received bonus payments in 2018 (41.2% versus 37.5% the previous year), the bonus payments to men outweighed those to women in a higher percentage than in the previous year, with a median gender bonus pay gap rising to 43.2% (previously 38.9%).

Nearly 60% of Springer Nature's 1,814 UK employees are women. However they continue to be under-represented in the company's upper quartile pay band (only 45.3% women) and over-represented in the lowest quartile pay band (69.2% women).

The company's statement accompanying the report said: "While Springer Nature has marginally reduced the gender pay gap from last year’s reported pay gap and it remains lower than the last reported national average, the data continues to highlight that there is more we need to do to ensure that all women and men in our organisation have support to progress their careers and develop into more highly paid senior roles if they choose to do so. The bonus pay gap data has increased.. and therefore one of our key undertakings has been a complete review of eligibility of the Global Bonus Plan across positions, gender, legal entity employer and also across key positions across the organisation irrespective of legal employer.."

However Springer Nature also noted: "As a result of producing gender pay gap information we have actively reviewed data about our UK annual pay review processes and have been assured that there is no evidence of gender disparities in the way annual reviews are conducted or in the way that salary increments are awarded." It added: "As an organisation our commitment is that we will continue to take action to understand the gender pay gap in our organisation better to make sure our policies and practices are fair and to consider new initiatives in line with our diversity and inclusion strategy and commitments."

The publisher said its management board had agreed to set global targets for improving the gender balance in its global leadership positions, with the aim of 45% of those global leaders in the top three tiers of the organisation to be women by 2023, compared with 39% at the moment. "This should have a positive impact on the gender pay gap of the company over time," the company said.