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City Hall bosses have pledged to provide more diversity training in the wake of a new pay gap report. The research found ethnically diverse men and women are paid less than their white counterparts at Norwich City Council. While the report states this does not necessarily indicate an "imbalance" in pay structures at the authority, leaders have committed to continue providing and developing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training in light of its findings.
This is the first time the council has published details about its ethnicity pay gap in an effort to "hold itself accountable". Norwich City Hall (Image: Newsquest) The ethnicity pay gap shows the difference between the average earnings of employees from an ethnically diverse heritage and white employees and is a measurement of how even, or uneven, the distribution of people across pay scales and pay points is. The report found the average hourly pay of white employees is 10.
17pc higher than employees from an ethnically diverse heritage - or for every £1 a white employee earns, an employee from an ethnically diverse heritage earns 90p. This means white employees occupy more of the higher paid positions compared to employees from an ethnically diverse heritage. However, some concerns were raised about the quality of the research due to roughly a quarter of staff choosing not to declare their ethnicity.
READ MORE: Report finds 'misogynistic' culture at council where worker was called 'the cleaner' Paul Kendrick, cabinet member for an open and modern council, said: "By voluntarily reporting on ethnicity and disability pay gaps, the council is holding itself accountable and continues to develop policies that support all employees, ensuring equal opportunities are accessible to all." To address pay disparities and improve workplace equality, the council has outlined a series of actions it plans to take, including continuing its commitment to anti-racism initiatives and EDI training..
