Gender pay gap still alive and kicking in retail sector

Despite efforts to close the gender pay gap with the retail sector men are still getting paid more than women and are more likely to be promoted into senior and higher paying management positions, according to new research from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and XpertHR.

An analysis of more than 60,000 UK employees' salary data carried out over the last year found than men get paid an average of 23.1 percent more than women, compared to 22.8 percent in 2015. What's more, data indicated that the average full-time salary for male managers currently sits at 38,817 pounds a year 8,964 pounds more than the average female managers salary.

The difference in promotion rates, which sees male managers 40 percent more likely than female managers to be promoted, was seen as one of the key causes behind the gender pay gap. Data found that 14 percent of men in management roles were promoted into higher positions over the last 12 months in comparison to just 10 percent of women.

CMI chief executive Ann Francke said the lack of diversity in roles is holiding businesses back, and urged employees to start making changes now, rather than waiting new legislations to come into effect next year. "Promoting men ahead of women is keeping us all back. Diversity delivers better financial results, better culture and better decision making," she said in a statement.

"Even before the new regulations kick in, employers need to get on board with reporting on their recruitment and promotion policies and how much they pay their men and women. Transparency and targets are what we need to deal with stubborn problems like the gender pay gap."