Leeds Arts University is the only specialist arts university in the north of England. The University has roots dating back to 1846, and since our inception we have made a significant contribution to Arts Education in the UK.
The University recognises the benefits diversity brings, and we aim to provide a learning environment free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation. We have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy which describes how we will promote equality and diversity, as well as tackling and eliminating discrimination.
We are committed to maintaining a working environment based on the equal treatment of all staff regardless of the characteristics which may define their identity. These include the legally protected characteristics which are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation. We believe that our policies, and our values, make the University both a desirable and a fair place to work for everyone.
Gender Pay Gap and Equal Pay
The gender pay gap refers to the differences in the average pay of men and women. It does not take account of the different roles to which each may be assigned but reports on the difference in average pay for all staff employed by an organisation. We are required by the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017 to provide and publish both the mean and median gender pay gap figures as well as the percentage of males and females in each of the four pay quartiles by 31 March each year, and these are detailed in this report.
The gender pay gap is not the same as equal pay. Equal Pay legislation in the UK requires that men and women who carry out the same or similar jobs, or work of equal value, are paid the same. Posts at Leeds Arts University are evaluated using the HERA job evaluation model which was developed by the sector for the sector, to ensure that work of equal value falls into the same pay grade.
Gender Pay Gap Data 2023
Mean gender pay gap - 11%
Median gender pay gap - 8.3%
The mean gender bonus pay gap - 0%
The median gender bonus pay gap - 0%
To understand the gender pay gaps a detailed analysis has been undertaken on the staff employed at the census date of 31/03/23, starting with an analysis of our workforce profile:
Employment category at census date | Male | Female |
Established | 130 | 189 |
Lecturer Pool | 0 | 1 |
Student Ambassadors | 5 | 25 |
Total | 135 | 215 |
61.4% of our workforce are female and in 2023 this included a larger number than usual of Student Ambassadors (the majority of which were female) on the census date.
Two key groups of staff are employed, Academic and Business Support. Analysis of academic staff below, shows the mean and median gender pay gaps, with female staff higher than male.
Mean gender pay gap - 2.4% Higher
Median gender pay gap - 1.5% Higher
With the business support staff (excluding Student Ambassadors) below, the data shows that the mean gender pay is lower for females but that there is no difference in the median:
Mean gender pay gap - 8.2% Lower
Median gender pay gap - 0%
The percentage of male and females in each quartile of our payroll on 31 March 2023, 2022, and 2021 (with quartile 1 being the lowest paid and quartile 4 being the highest paid) is shown in the table below, with the previous 2 years’ figures provided for comparison purposes. This data is for all staff including the Student Ambassadors.
Quartile | Men | Women | ||||
| 2023 (%) | 2022 (%) | 2021 (%) | 2023 (%) | 2022 (%) | 2021 (%) |
Quartile 1 (Lower Quartile) | 28.7 | 42.5 | 46.9 | 71.3 | 57.5 | 53.1 |
Quartile 2 | 39.8 | 33.8 | 28.4 | 60.2 | 66.3 | 71.6 |
Quartile 3 | 43.7 | 46.3 | 48.1 | 56.3 | 53.8 | 51.9 |
Quartile 4 (Upper Quartile) | 42.0 | 45.0 | 42.2 | 58.0 | 55.0 | 56.8 |
Whilst we employ more female staff than male across all the quartiles, there are significantly more females than males in the lowest paid two quartiles, which is a significant reason behind the gender pay gap. The staffing profile is also more female dominated in Business Support staff, and roles in this group start at a lower salary range than academic staff.
There are other factors which have impacted on the data this year including higher levels of turnover in some areas leading to overall staffing profiles changing, but little turnover in senior roles within the institution. Given the University’s size, the salary (and quartile data) continues to be influenced by this turnover, with new staff typically starting on the bottom point of their pay grade as well as by the increased use of Student Ambassadors on the census date, who are predominantly female reflecting the student cohort demographic.
The University has a smaller gender pay gap than published nationally. On 1 November 2023, the Office for National Statistics published 2023 data on the Gender Pay Gap in the UK: “Among all employees, the gender pay gap decreased to 14.3% in 2023, from 14.4% in 2022, and is still below the levels seen in 2019 (17.4%).” The University’s gap remains lower than this data which is calculated on the basis of ASHE (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
The small numbers of staff involved make the data sensitive to small fluctuations which has contributed to an increase this year. We will continue to monitor the detail behind any reported figures and to take action where appropriate, whilst also being sensitive to other equality objectives of achieving a more diverse workforce.
These figures have been reported to our Senior Management Team and are considered by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.