‘There’s still more to be done’ to address gender pay gap says BHA

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has said that ‘there’s still more to be done’ when it comes to closing the gender pay gap, as the racing body published its gender pay figures for 2019.

The figures have shown a mean gender pay gap of 17% and a median gap of 9%, which the BHA has lauded as an ‘improvement’ from last year’s figures.

Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the BHA, said: “The BHA is committed to ensuring that equality of opportunity underpins everything that we do. We welcome the improvement in our 2019 gender pay figures, but recognise that there’s still more to be done to reduce our gender pay gap.

“Our updated action plan outlines how we plan to address this, with a concerted effort to improve our recruitment, retention and talent development – giving everyone at the BHA the chance to fulfil their potential.”

The gender pay gap measures the difference in average hourly earnings of the men and women in an organisation, with the 2019 data calculated on the snapshot date of 5th April. The gender pay gap is not the same as unequal pay for people doing the same roles, which is unlawful.

The report also highlighted the bonus pay gap, which showed a drop from 42% in 2018 down to 27%. The reduction is ‘a result of a performance-related bonus scheme at executive-level, which was removed since the publication of the 2019 figures.’

It includes an updated action plan, which focuses on recruitment, retention and talent development. The plan measures progress on last year’s commitments and outlines additional actions to be implemented in 2020 and beyond.

The report said: “While we welcome the improvements in this year’s figures, there is still much more to be done and we will redouble our efforts to reduce the gap. The primary reason for the BHA’s gender pay gap is that fewer women are represented in senior management positions and raceday roles.

“We are committed to addressing this, primarily though focusing on recruitment, retention and enhancing opportunities for talent development and career progression. We are already working to identify and remove any potential barriers for women applying for and successfully securing more senior roles.

“This includes a new package of support for employees, with coaching sessions, forums and a peer-to-peer network to help recognise and celebrate female achievement.”