The Government’s approach to gender pay gap reporting is to be examined today at a special public hearing – after shocking statistics revealed disparities of up to 28% across some sectors in Jersey.

This afternoon, the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel is due to quiz the Assistant Chief Minister about gender pay gap reporting policy.

The aim of the meeting is to establish what, if anything, the Government is doing to encourage gender pay gap reporting in both the public and private sectors.

This includes family-friendly working practices, and addressing the causes of any discrepancies in pay.

Pictured: The highest gender pay gap of any sector was 28.2% in the information and communication sector. (Statistics Jersey)

It comes after Statistics Jersey’s most recent gender pay gap report – published in March – revealed an average gap of 7.8% in the island during the 12 months leading up to June 2024.

The biggest gender pay gap of any sector was in the information and communication sector (28.2%), whilst the smallest was in the private education, health and other services sector (0.1%).

And whilst the finance and legal activities sector was the highest paying sector on average, it had the second largest gender pay gap in Jersey (22.7%).

Men earned more than women in all age groups over 30 in the finance and legal sector, according to the report – with the gap peaking at 65.7% for those aged 55 to 59.

Pictured: The gender pay gap in the finance and legal sector increases with age, starting near parity for those aged 20-29, then reaching 65.7% for those aged 55-59. (Statistics Jersey)

Following the report’s publication, a partner at a top finance firm and a politician called for Government to take a more active role in encouraging transparency around company gender pay gaps.

Deputy Louise Doublet urged the Chief Minister to encourage companies with over 50 employees to voluntarily publish their gender pay gap statistics with an accompanying action plan, on a specific date.

Speaking to Express in March, the politician said that closing the gender pay gap and the ethnicity pay gap would make things fairer for marginalised groups, and boost the island’s economy.

Pictured: Deputy Louise Doublet said that closing the gender pay gap would boost the island’s economy.

“Businesses are currently missing out on many of the best people for jobs at some of the highest levels – addressing this would help businesses to improve their outcomes,” she said.

“I welcome this report from Statistics Jersey, and I would very much like to see an action plan from Government which includes clarity on how it will be tackled.”

Deputy Doublet is due to join the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel at today’s public hearing.

The meeting was due to take place earlier this year, but was rescheduled for Tuesday 6 May.

WATCH…

You can watch the scrutiny hearing live on the States Assembly website or on YouTube.