Did you know that women in the UK earn about 7% less than men per hour for full-time work? And when part-time workers are included, it’s 13.1%. But here at Yorkshire Housing, we’re proud to say that for we have a below zero Gender Pay Gap for 2024. Everyone here receives the same pay for the same work, with no gender-based pay gap.
In fact, our below-zero gender pay gap means there’s no difference in the hourly rates of pay for women and men. With more women in senior roles, we’ve achieved a negative pay gap, where the average median pay for women is slightly higher than men.
This commitment to equality isn’t something we take lightly. Only 1% of companies globally have achieved this, which speaks volumes about our efforts. But our focus goes beyond just pay, we’re continuously working to improve policies, processes, and practices to support women at every level of our organisation.
As Nick Atkin, our CEO, puts it, “I’m personally very proud that Yorkshire Housing has attracted and retained so many brilliant female leaders - on our Board, throughout our leadership and management teams, and the women who smash gender stereotypes to lead within our construction, property maintenance, finance, and technology functions.”
Our commitment to supporting women
We understand that creating an equal and inclusive environment requires more than just equal pay, it involves a comprehensive approach to supporting women throughout their careers. Here are just a few of the ways we’ve been investing in women at Yorkshire Housing this past year:
- Flexible working: We know that many of our female colleagues have caring responsibilities. That’s why flexible working is central to our operations. It’s a vital part of our commitment to recruiting and retaining the best talent.
- Improved policies: We’ve updated our “Call It Out” policy to make sure it’s clear that we have zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We've also made reporting inappropriate behaviour easier, so that colleagues feel safe and supported.
- Family-friendly policies: We’re reviewing our family-friendly policies to ensure they support all our colleagues, particularly women managing careers alongside family life.
- Women in trades and property: We’re proud to see more women joining the team in traditionally male-dominated roles like trades and property maintenance. But we know there’s more to be done, and we're committed to accelerating this change.
- Colleague networks: Our “Raising the Future - Together” network continues to support working mothers and those balancing career and family. And we’ve just launched a new Women’s Network to promote equality across the organisation and make sure women’s voices are heard.
Our ongoing commitment to inclusion
While gender equality is an important focus, we’re also committed to closing our ethnicity pay gap, which is why we’ve voluntarily published our Ethnicity Pay Gap since 2021. We’ve maintained our position of no gap between the pay of ethnically diverse colleagues and others. We’re proud to report a 4.53% median pay gap for ethnicity in 2024, which is a slight improvement on last year.
Our commitment to inclusion doesn’t stop there. We want our workforce to reflect the diversity of the customers we serve. To achieve this, we’re continuously listening to our colleagues, customers, and partners across the region to make sure our services are inclusive and meet everyone’s needs.
So, what’s next?
We’ll continue working closely with colleagues and external partners to make sure that we’re always progressing. Our colleague-led networks play a key role in driving change, providing safe spaces to connect, share experiences, and lead the charge for equality.
With a strong focus on improving ethnic diversity at senior levels, we’re also committed to promoting and developing our diverse talent. By partnering with others in the housing sector, we’ll share insights and resources to build a more inclusive Yorkshire Housing.
Find our most recent report on gender and ethnicity below: