SAGE's gender pay gap rises with new hires

SAGE's latest gender pay gap disclosures show deeper divisions between men and women's pay than in last year's inaugural report. For the year 2018, the publisher has reported a median pay gap of 16.9%, up from 14.5% in the previous year, with a mean pay gap of 23.8%, up from 22%.

The national average median pay gap is 17.9%, according to the Office of National Statistics.

In bonuses, which are given to all permanent staff, the median bonus pay gap fell marginally to 19.3% (20.7% the previous year), but the mean pay gap rose from 43.9% to 47.7%. 

The publisher said a 3% increase in women staff members, with many hired into the lower pay quartiles, was behind the change in the latest figures.

SAGE's gender balance for the year being reported (2018) stood at 67% women and 33% men. However women made up 70% of staff in the lowest pay quartile (up from 69% the previous year), and only 46% of the top pay quartile (down from 47% the previous year).

As also stated the previous year, SAGE said that its technology functions occupy the highest quartile and are male dominated; and while the make-up of the UK senior management group is 50% women, the two most senior London-based executives are men. Stephen Barr is the president of SAGE International while Ziyad Marar is president of Global Publishing.

SAGE said its goals for the future included having an upper quartile that is reflective of its overall staff make-up, and that this was a "long-term" commitment that would be tracked annually.

The publisher said: "We aim to reduce our gender pay gap significantly over time. There is no overnight solution to closing this gap. We are working to understand it and to assess the actions that we will take. We are committed to making changes to foster gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the short- and long-term."

Planned actions include putting in place a formal leadership review of progress against aspirational goals, to take place every six months. The publisher has already put in place a long-term strategy to increase the representation of female talent in its technology department, as well as introducing greater support for women prior to and following maternity leave and relaunching its mentoring programme.