Five departments, nearly a third of the total, have seen their gender pay gap widen over the last year, despite pledges to tackle the problem, according to new data released on 19 December. The figures show that in London, where women earn more than men and are paid less for doing so, there has been an increase in the number of female officers who were not promoted or given extra pay. The department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport saw the largest rise in unequal pay from 8.2% to 22.9%. A departmental report said that female civil servants had experienced a “loyalty penalty”, with male directors recruited externally earning more than internally promoted female peers.
Five departments, nearly a third of the total, have seen their gender pay gap widen over the last year, despite pledges to tackle the problem, according to new data released on 19 December. The overall median gender pay gap for the civil service as a whole fell from 12.7% in 2017 to 12.2% this year. The department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport saw the largest rise in unequal pay from 8.2% to 22.9%. A departmental report said that female civil servants had experienced a “loyalty penalty”, with male directors recruited externally earning more than internally promoted female peers.