Think, Act, Report
Programme manager:
Katrina Lidbetter
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/tar
Outline of presentation
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Context: women in the workplace:
– the challenges to equality; and
– Government’s approach, in partnership with business, developing a fair and
flexible labour market that uses the talents of all;
– Legislation and alternatives
Think, Act, Report initiative
– What the initiative aims to do and why
– The three step approach
– Who we are working with
– Progress to date – one year on report - over a million employees in
organisations signed up
– Why sign up - the benefits of gender reporting for an organisation
And then
• Presentation from one of the organisations signed up to Think, Act, Report –
leading law firm, DWF.
Why it matters
Gender pay gap (fulltime)currently-10.5%
Why it matters
gender pay gap incl part time over 20%
Why it matters
Government Action
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Women’s Business Council – reporting next May
Business mentors for female entrepreneurs
£2 million to support women’s enterprise in rural areas
Review into access to finance for women entrepreneurs,
working with British Banking Association
Extending right to request flexible working to all employees
– helping all carers to balance work and family life
Lord Davies review into women on boards –
recommendations that listed companies should publish data
on women in senior posts and in company as a whole –
good progress to date
Legislation
•Strong legislation to tackle discrimination – brought together into
one Act, Equality Act 2010, implemented by this Government.
•Equality Act 2010 made pay secrecy clauses unlawful; positive
action can be used in recruitment and promotion; protection
against discrimination by association.
•Equality Act also includes power (section 78) to require
companies to report on gender pay information.
•Building a Fairer Britain: “While we work with business and others
to ensure the voluntary approach is successful, we will not
commence, amend or repeal section 78.”
Think, Act, Report
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The Think, Act, Report framework asks private and voluntary sector
employers to promote greater transparency gender equality by signing up
to Think, Act, Report
Developed with the help of EHRC and CBI
Launched by Minister for Women and Equalities on 14 September 2011
Launched with Eversheds, BT, Tesco; and the CBI.
Voluntary, flexible approach, led by business
Aimed at medium to large private and voluntary sector organisations
(public sector organisations are covered by the public sector equality duty)
Companies decide that to publish and where – no requirement to
publish pay data - different companies will be at different points on the
journey – aim is to publish more as work progresses
Think, Act, Report
Not everyone is at the same point on the journey, so we identified three
stages:
Think
identify any issues around gender equality
Act
take action to address those issues, then
Report publicise progress, internally and externally
Key points:
• It is entirely up to you to decide what to publish
• There’s no requirement to publish your gender pay gap
• There’s no new report to Government or anyone else – but we publish your
case studies if you’d like us to do so
Why sign-up?
Better for business, better for staff, customers and investors
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Sends message to employees, customers, investors about
commitment to gender equality – strong reputational value
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Opportunities to share experiences and good practice with other
businesses
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Companies with more diverse staff – better able to understand
customers (70% of household purchasing decisions made by women)
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Some research that companies with diverse boards deliver better
return on investment
Progress so far
Over 50 major companies signed up
1m
2m
Current TAR sign ups
0%
10%
20%
UK Workforce in
Medium/Large
orgs (150+)
Next Steps
Overall aim: build a culture where promoting gender equality openly and
transparently is the norm. To do this we are:
Working in Partnership to recognise best practice, eg
– Working with ENEI
– Working with Opportunity Now - Transparency Award April 2013
Getting the word out
– Digital tools – website with sign-up form; twitter, linked-in
– Encouraging companies already signed-up to talk to their suppliers and other
organisations in their sector
– Sector-specific round tables with equality ministers (eg retail roundtable;
banking breakfast; law society event; round table with Linklaters;)
Networks and networking
- eg:Women in Rail – supporting their event April 2013
Want to learn more?
Visit our website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/tar
Read our annual report and flyer
Email us at thinkactreport@geo.gsi.gov.ukor call us on 0207 035....
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Katrina Lidbetter (3803)
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James Charlton (1457)
TAR signed-up supporters
AngelTrains
Arup
B3 Living
BAE Systems
Berwin Leighton Paiser
BNY Mellon
BP
British American Tobacco
BT Group
Bupa
Centrica
Circle Housing Group
Citi UK
Co-operative Group
Costain
DAC Beachcroft LLP
Dell
Deloitte
DHL Supply Chain
DWF
EDF Energy
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Ernst & Young
Eversheds
Fujitsu
GE UK & Ireland
Genesis Housing Association
GlaxoSmithKline
Hallett Retail Services
Hogan Lovells International LLP
IBM
Imagelinx UK
Julie Nerney
KPMG
McDonald’s
Marks & Spencer
Mercer
Metropolitan Housing Partnership
MITIE Group
Morgan Stanley
My Family Care
National Grid
Nomura International
Pinsent Masons
Press for Change
Royal Bank of Scotland
Somerset West Business Against Crime
Sustainable Development Capital
Tesco
The MAIN Project
Three
Triton Showers
Unilever
Vox Feminarum
Walthamstow Times
Zibrant