A think-tank report said that the under-representation of women in engineering in the United Kingdom was far greater than in other European countries, and that the gender gap in this sector represented a missed opportunity to reduce pay inequality in the workforce as a whole. The report recommended measures to shift the perceptions of engineering among girls and their families, to ensure that appropriate subject choices were made at the right points in the education pathway, and to improve the existing initiatives for promoting science, technology, mathematics, and engineering subjects.
Source: Amna Silim and Cait Crosse, Women in Engineering: Fixing the talent pipeline, Institute for Public Policy Research
Date: 2014-Sep
A paper provided a gender analysis of the working and employment conditions of older workers (aged 50 and over) in European countries.
Source: Patricia Vendramin and Gerard Valenduc, A Gender Perspective on Older Workers' Employment and Working Conditions, European Trade Union Institute
Links: Paper | ETUI press release
Date: 2014-Sep
A report provided findings from a research project into blockages that affected women's success in the United Kingdom senior civil service (SCS), building on the findings of an earlier interim report. The research had found that the culture and leadership climate prevented women from progressing into more senior roles, and had examined how to create the right conditions for success through the three lenses of policy, practice, and perception. The report said that overall policy intent was broadly in line with best practice and, with minor amendments, could become leading edge, although line management practice was variable. It said that the key challenge lay in changing people's perceptions, as many people, and women in particular, did not believe the rhetoric on policy, promotions, or what was valued in the SCS and many chose to opt out. The report made a range of recommendations.
Source: Hays Group, Women in Whitehall: Culture, leadership, talent, Cabinet Office
Links: Report | Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2014-Sep
A report examined the relative position of women and men within the emerging economic recovery in the United Kingdom and examined women's experiences in the recovery, drawing on a survey of low paid women. The report said that, since the start of the crisis in 2008, an additional 826,000 women had moved into typically low paid and insecure types of work, female under-employment had almost doubled, and an additional 371,000 women had moved into self-employment. It said that low paid work was contributing to a widening gender pay gap, and low paid women were particularly affected by the cost of living, with nearly half saying they felt worse off now than five years ago, almost 1 in 10 having taken a loan from a pay day lender in the previous twelve months, and almost 1 in 12 low paid women with children having used a food bank in the past twelve months. The report outlined seven priority areas for government action, and recommendations included: an uplift in the minimum wage; the extension of the living wage by encouraging the public sector to lead in its adoption; action on employment tribunal fees; and the implementation of section 78 of the Equality Act 2010 to require mandatory gender pay gap reporting in large companies.
Source: The Changing Labour Market 2: Women, low pay and gender equality in the emerging recovery, Fawcett Society
Links: Report | Fawcett Society press release
Date: 2014-Aug
A think-tank report examined how the United Kingdom might develop a universal, high-quality, and affordable system of childcare and early years provision that would promote higher employment rates for parents, reduce early childhood inequalities, and enhance gender equality. Recommendations included: an extension of universal early years entitlement to 15 hours per week, 48 weeks per year, from the age of two; a framework of affordable childcare for working families, funded through reforms to existing tax credits and reliefs; improvements to the quality of childcare and early learning, and a highly qualified early years profession; and reforms to parental leave entitlements. The report also called for a greater focus on public funding of provision, rather than on cash transactions between the state and families.
Source: Dalia Ben-Galim, with Nick Pearce and Spencer Thompson, No More Baby Steps: A strategy for revolutionising childcare, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jul
An article examined the careers of women employed as part-time managers in a range of United Kingdom public, private, and not-for-profit sector organizations, and the influence of mentors or role models. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, it said that careers had often stalled following a transition to part-time work. While the majority of interviewees identified role models, just over half identified these as negative. Around half had been mentored at some stage, but only four at the time of the interview.
Source: Susan Durbin and Jennifer Tomlinson, 'Female part-time managers: careers, mentors and role models', Gender, Work and Organization, Volume 21 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jul
An article examined women's negative intra-gender relations, through a qualitative study of women elite leaders' experiences in United Kingdom organizations.
Source: Sharon Mavin, Gina Grandy, and Jannine Williams, 'Experiences of women elite leaders doing gender: intra-gender micro-violence between women', British Journal of Management, Volume 25 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jul
A report said that the charging of fees for employment tribunals was stifling access to justice, with numbers of tribunals having fallen significantly since the fees were introduced in July 2013. It said that there had been a particularly notable effect on women. The report called on the government to act urgently to abolish the fees.
Source: At What Price Justice? The impact of employment tribunal fees, Trades Union Congress
Links: Report | TUC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined findings from a cross-party inquiry into the provision of childcare for children with disabilities. It said that: 41 per cent of families with disabled children aged three and four were unable to access their full free entitlement to childcare and early years education, due to a chronic lack of appropriate settings or lack of funding; 86 per cent of parent carers who responded to a survey reported paying above average childcare costs; childcare problems had caused 72 per cent of families to reduce or give up work; the situation worsened as children got older; and local authorities, nurseries, and schools were unclear about their duties towards provision for children with disabilities. The report called for all parties to commit to developing appropriate provision for all children.
Source: Levelling the Playing Field for Families with Disabled Children and Young People, Parliamentary Inquiry into Childcare for Disabled Children
Links: Report | FCT press release
Date: 2014-Jul
The Childcare Payments Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to introduce tax relief on qualifying childcare costs, up to a maximum value of £2,000 per year for each child. The scheme would replace some existing tax and national insurance reliefs that had been previously provided for childcare.
Source: Childcare Payments Bill, HM Treasury, TSO | Debate 14 July 2014, columns 604-641, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2014-Jul
A report said that, despite recent policy initiatives, many parents still cited childcare as a barrier to work, many children were not receiving quality early years education, and the options available to low-income families and those who worked evening, weekends, or unreliable hours were considerably narrow and often involved compromising on quality. Particular issues included: upfront costs (payment in advance and deposits); limited flexibility to change childcare arrangements; and payment schedules (with higher quality providers being more likely to require monthly payments and less likely to offer flexibility). The report considered the policy implications, and made a range of recommendations.
Source: The Practicalities Of Childcare: An overlooked part of the puzzle?, Citizens Advice
Links: Report | Citizens Advice press release | NCT press release
Date: 2014-Jul
The government published its response to a consultation on the design and implementation of a new scheme for tax-free childcare, announced in the 2013 Budget.
Source: Tax-Free Childcare: The government's response to the consultation on childcare account provision, HM Treasury
Links: Report | Associated reports | Consultation document | HMT press release
Date: 2014-Jul
An article examined the effects of parenthood across the unconditional earnings distribution in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It said that the three countries differed in within- and between-gender economic inequality and that income equality in Australia was slightly greater than the other two countries. The article discussed the more detailed results for both men and women, and concluded that penalties and premiums for parenthood reflected relative socio-economic position among women and men, as well as between them.
Source: Lynn Prince Cooke, 'Gendered parenthood penalties and premiums across the earnings distribution in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States', European Sociological Review, Volume 30 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jun
A paper examined the extent to which motherhood affected women's career accomplishments and wages in Italy and the UK. It said that motherhood had no adverse effects on mothers' wage progressions or career paths in Italy, and that job segregation (the concentration of mothers in less valued sectors and lower paid occupations) explained most of the motherhood wage gap in the UK. It said that findings suggested that the timing of motherhood and job continuity had a significant effect on the female wage profile, which warranted policy attention since it had a potential impact on wage levels and, in the longer term, on pensions.
Source: Eliane El Badaoui and Eleonora Matteazzi, To Be a Mother, or Not to Be? Career and wage ladder in Italy and the UK, Working paper 2014-30, Economix
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Jun
A new book examined gender inequality in the United Kingdom labour market. Chapters discussed: relevant labour market outcomes, international comparisons, the legislative framework, the relationship with wider macroeconomic dynamics, explanations of the gender pay gap, the transition from education to the labour market, occupational segregation, and the division of labour within the household.
Source: Giovanni Razzu (ed.), Gender Inequality in the Labour Market in the UK, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
A paper examined major developments in women's position on the European labour market over the previous two decades, considering issues related to women's employment decisions such as education, maternity, retirement, life-long learning, care choices, flexible employment contracts, and salaries.
Source: Jan Baran, Atilla Bartha, Agnieszka Chlon Dominczak, Olena Fedyuk, Agnieszka Kaminska, Piotr Lewandowski, Maciej Lis, Iga Magda, Monika Potoczna, and Violetta Zentai, Women on the European Labour Market, Policy brief 16.5, NEUJOBS
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Jun
A report brought together the core findings from a series of six short statistical reports about the reconciliation of work, private, and family life in Europe. It said that the work had highlighted large gender disparities in employment situations between parents and non-parents, with lower employment levels, fewer work hours, and more underemployment among mothers in many western European countries, as compared with women without children and men with or without children. The work had also found persistent inequality among social groups, that certain groups such as single parents were more vulnerable to the challenges of work-life balance, and that long-standing social and cultural norms played a role in perpetuating gender inequality in employment. The report said that there were large differences between European Union member states in levels of, and support for, employment, and that, although the situation varied between countries, childcare and cultural norms regarding children were still important factors in employment decisions. The report concluded that there had not generally been a move away from the 'male breadwinner' model, and said that the findings illustrated the importance of recognizing the heterogeneity among groups (of women, men, parents, or non-parents), the importance of considering gender roles and cultural norms, and a need for work-life reconciliation policies targeting vulnerable groups. The supporting work was published as a series of annexes, alongside this report.
Source: Melinda Mills, Flavia Tsang, Patrick Prag, Kai Ruggeri, Celine Miani, and Stijn Hoorens, Gender Equality in the Workforce: Reconciling work, private and family life in Europe – final report, RAND Europe
Links: Report
Annex 1: Melinda Mills, Patrick Prag, Flavia Tsang, Katia Begall, James Derbyshire, Laura Kohle, Celine Miani, and Stijn Hoorens, Use of Childcare Services in the EU Member States and Progress Towards the Barcelona Targets: Short Statistical Report No. 1, RAND Europe
Links: Report
Annex 2: Celine Miani and Stijn Hoorens, Parents at Work: Men and women participating in the labour force – Short Statistical Report No. 2, RAND Europe
Links: Report
Annex 3: Kai Ruggeri and Chloe Bird, Single Parents and Employment in Europe: Short Statistical Report No. 3, RAND Europe
Links: Report
Annex 4: Melinda Mills and Patrick Prag, Gender Inequalities in the School-to-Work Transition in Europe: Short Statistical Report No. 4, RAND Europe
Links: Report
Annex 5: Flavia Tsang, Michael Rendall, Charlene Rohr, and Stijn Hoorens, Emerging Trends in Earnings Structures of Couples in Europe: Short Statistical Report No. 5, RAND Europe
Links: Report
Annex 6: Patrick Prag and Melinda Mills, Family-Related Working Schedule Flexibility across Europe: Short Statistical Report No. 6, RAND Europe
Links: Report
Date: 2014-May
An article examined the disadvantage and inequality of female staff in a United Kingdom bank, compared with their male counterparts, drawing on the work of Bourdieu. It said that women were symbolically constructed as different, women faced different problems to men, and women's social capital was not perceived to be the the same as men's. However, the article said that women differed in their views as to whether gender mattered, and some wished to deny being, or resist being seen as, unequal. The article considered possible explanations behind the findings.
Source: Fiona Wilson, 'May the best man win: understanding the lack of meritocracy of women in UK banking', Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Volume 33 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-May
A paper examined the pay penalty for female part-time workers within low and medium-skilled occupations in the United Kingdom. It said that the pay penalty had decreased significantly over the period 1997-2006, and discussed the influence of changes in the nature and value of work tasks, including the role of computer work.
Source: Ahmed Elsayed, Andries de Grip, and Didier Fouarge, Job Tasks, Computer Use, and the Decreasing Part-Time Pay Penalty for Women in the UK, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market, Maastricht University
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Apr
A paper examined age-related gender pay differentials and wage returns associated with flexible employment (temporary and part-time jobs) in Europe. It said that there was no consistent pattern of age-specific wage returns from flexible forms of employment, but some differences were seen between Western and Eastern European countries.
Source: Iga Magda and Monika Potoczna, Does Flexible Employment Pay? European evidence on the wage perspectives of female workers, Working Paper 16.3, NEUJOBS
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Apr
An article examined recent developments in equal pay bargaining in the United Kingdom local government sector. It considered the impact of the implementation of a new single status agreement, designed to promote equality at work, and the Gender Equality Duty.
Source: Liz Oliver, Mark Stuart, and Jennifer Tomlinson, 'Equal pay bargaining in the UK local government sector', Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 56 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Apr
An article examined the ways in which trade unions had used equality legislation to secure equal pay for women through the courts. It considered recent legislative changes that, by adopting a reflexive approach, appeared to open up ways for equality bargaining to take place. However, it said that political conservatism in relation to equality, and judicial animosity towards trade unions, had prevented change – forcing trade unions to continue to use adversarial legal methods to pursue equal pay.
Source: Hazel Conley, 'Trade unions, equal pay and the law in the UK', Economic and Industrial Democracy, Volume 35 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Apr
An article examined the gendered consequences of night work for partnered women with children, drawing on a study of female nurses. The 'preparation' and 'recovery' phases of women's night work involved intense periods of considerable additional unpaid and unrecognized work and anxiety. Gendered expectations for household management and family well-being meant that women night workers undertook considerable responsibility for complex planning before night shifts began, and re-entered established domestic routines within hours after night shifts ended. Women maintained continuity for their families by actively managing the impacts of night work. This enabled the fulfilment and 'display' of successful and normative gendered patterns of domestic responsibility, which appeared to be central to women's own coping with night shifts.
Source: Elizabeth Lowson and Sara Arber, 'Preparing, working, recovering: gendered experiences of night work among women and their families', Gender, Work and Organization, Volume 21 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Apr
An article examined the relationship between collective bargaining and the law, and the impact of bargaining content and structures on gender equality outcomes, comparing France and the United Kingdom. It said that the two countries had very different collective bargaining traditions and structures, legal traditions, and gender regimes, which illustrated the importance of supportive legislation, bargaining structures, and bargaining equity. The article noted the vulnerability of gains in the United Kingdom, in the context of recent economic conditions and a weakened and localized bargaining framework.
Source: Susan Milner and Abigail Gregory, 'Gender equality bargaining in France and the UK: an uphill struggle?', Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 56 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Apr
An article examined the gender training gap (defined as the disadvantage of women in receiving work-related continuing training), drawing on data from the first wave of the Adult Education Survey. The article said that, for women holding a university degree, a training gap was found in one of 22 European countries but, for women without a degree, a significant training gap was found in six countries. It said that institutions were linked to the chances of training, and that the gap was enhanced when vocational education and training was geared towards firm-specific skills.
Source: Caroline Wozny and Martin Schneider, 'A matter of degree: the continuing training gap for women in Europe', Socio-Economic Review, Volume 12 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Apr
A report examined employers' views about shared parental leave and extending the right to request flexible working to all employees, based on research undertaken in 2011 (prior to changes in United Kingdom government policy). It said that employers were supportive, in principle, of family friendly working but were concerned about the practical application of regulations, and there was limited support for shared parental leave.
Source: Elizabeth Jordan, Andrew Thomas, John Kitching, and Robert Blackburn, Employment Regulation Part B: Employer perceptions of maternity and paternity leave and flexible working arrangements, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Mar
The equality and human rights watchdog said that almost no progress had been made in Wales in increasing the number of women in senior positions over the previous 10 years, and in some respects the position had worsened.
Source: Who Runs Wales? 2014, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | EHRC press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Mar
The European Court of Justice ruled that European Union law did not require that a mother who had had a baby through a surrogacy agreement should be entitled to maternity leave or its equivalent. It said that the Employment Equality Framework Directive did not apply, since the inability to maintain a pregnancy was not considered a disability. The court also said that the Pregnant Workers Directive only laid down certain minimum requirements, but member states were free to apply more favourable rules for the benefit of such mothers.
Source: C-167/12 C.D. v S.T. and C-363/12 Z. v A Government Department and the Board of Management of a Community School, European Court of Justice
Links: Judgement | UNISON press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined the results from a qualitative international comparative study into the career trajectories of older women (aged 45 65) in six countries (Australia, Argentina, Germany, Italy, England and South Africa). It discussed women s careers, and career theory and practice for women, across cultures.
Source: Jenny Bimrose, Mark Watson, Mary McMahon, Simone Haasler, Massimo Tomassini, and Pamela Suzanne, 'The problem with women? Challenges posed by gender for career guidance practice', International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, Volume 14 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined appointments, pay, and impact on productivity related to gender diversity in boardrooms in the United Kingdom. It said that there was evidence of gender-bias in the appointment of women as non-executive directors, mixed evidence of discrimination in wages or fees paid, but no evidence to support the idea that greater gender diversity on boards enhanced corporate performance.
Source: Ian Gregory-Smith, Brian Main, and Charles O'Reilly, 'Appointments, pay and performance in UK boardrooms by gender', The Economic Journal, Volume 124 Issue 574
Links: Abstract | Royal Economic Society press release
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined how work, marital, and fertility history affected the likelihood of women extending their employment beyond the state pension age. Women were extending paid work for financial reasons to make up for 'opportunity costs' as a result of their caring role within the family, with short breaks due to caring, lengthy marriages, divorcing, and remaining single with children all being important. On the other hand, lengthy detachment (due to caring) from the labour market made extending working life more difficult.
Source: Naomi Finch, 'Why are women more likely than men to extend paid work? The impact of work-family life history', European Journal of Ageing, Volume 11 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Mar
A survey for a trade union examined the workplace experiences of women aged over 50. The report said that over 60 per cent of women in this age group worked full-time, with a further 20 per cent working 25-34 hours per week and over half of women aged between 60 and 64 in full-time work. It said that 33 per cent of respondents would increase their hours if they could, but 40 per cent of those working full-time would like to reduce their hours. Most women did not feel that they had good promotion opportunities, and fewer than 50 per cent had said they had good opportunities for training. The report noted policy issues for the union to consider further.
Source: Women Deserve Better: A better deal for women aged 50 and over in employment, Labour Research Department/UNISON
Links: Report | UNISON press release
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined the gender wage gap across European countries. The size of the gender wage gap varied considerably, and most of the gap could not be explained by the data available. But country policies and institutions were related to features of their unexplained gender wage gaps in systematic, quantitatively important, ways.
Source: Louis Christofides, Alexandros Polycarpou, and Konstantinos Vrachimis, 'Gender wage gaps, "sticky floors" and "glass ceilings" in Europe', Labour Economics, Volume 21
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined cross-country differences in over- and under-employment in Europe, focusing on the growth of part-time work. The spread of part-time work had resulted in a downward adaptation of 'descriptive norms' regulating work hours. The article noted that, initially, women had used part-time work to solve the work-family conflict and the increase of part-time work among women with children had increased its acceptance among women and men, as it allowed paid work to be combined with education and care. A larger share of part-time work in a country was said to be associated with stronger preferences among full-time workers to reduce work hours, and the preference to reduce work hours spread among full-time working mothers, and from mothers to other full-time working women and men. It said that preferences to increase working hours among part-time workers were more driven by the level of prosperity of the country.
Source: Rudi Wielers, Maria Munderlein, and Ferry Koster, 'Part-time work and work hour preferences: an international comparison', European Sociological Review, Volume 30 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
A report by a committee of MPs said that women remained under-represented at senior levels across every discipline within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors. It said there was no single explanation for the lack of gender diversity, rather it resulted from a combination of perceptions and biases, plus the impracticalities of combining a career with family. It noted the impact on women of the use of short term contracts for early career posts in academia, which often coincided with a life stage where women were considering motherhood. It called for government to work with the higher education sector to provide more longer-term positions. The report said there was a need for diversity and equality training in the STEM sector, as well as greater mainstreaming of diversity funding to assist efforts to retain women in the disciplines.
Source: Women in Scientific Careers, Sixth Report (Session 201314), HC 701, House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Guardian comment | Telegraph report | THE report
Date: 2014-Feb
A paper examined the long run impact of attending an elite school in the United Kingdom, drawing on data for children born in the 1950s and educated in Aberdeen, Scotland. It said that, for women, elite school attendance increased the probability of gaining A-levels by 23 percentage points, significantly increased income and wages (by 20 percent and 10 percent respectively) and significantly decreased completed fertility (by around 0.5 children). The paper said that, for men, elite school attendance had no effect on income, wages, fertility, or marriage. The paper noted implications for policy.
Source: Damon Clark and Emilia Del Bono, The Long-Run Effects of Attending an Elite School: Evidence from the UK, Working Paper 2014-05, Institute for Social & Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the experiences in the workplace of women aged over 50. It said that workplace culture made it difficult for older women to balance their careers with caring responsibilities, which contributed to low pay at the end of their working lives and poverty in retirement. The report said that: the gender pay gap for women over 50 working full-time was twice as high as for younger women; almost half of women over 50 worked part-time; and the majority worked in the public sector, where they felt at risk from budget cuts. The report called for new employment rights, including carers' leave, and for a more enlightened and flexible response from employers.
Source: Age Immaterial: Women over 50 in the workplace, Trades Union Congress
Links: Report | TUC press release
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the characteristics, circumstances, and experiences of first-time mothers in Scotland aged under 20, examining how they compared with those of older mothers. The report said that the data re-confirmed that this younger group faced significant socio-economic disadvantage in terms of lower educational qualifications, employment levels, and income, but that they were also affected in other ways, such as having less stable partner relationships, poorer health behaviours and health outcomes, and lower levels of engagement with formal parenting support. It said that these inequalities might be addressed through additional support, including wider access to affordable childcare, to help young parents (including those in their early 20s) to continue their education or training, or to enter employment.
Source: Paul Bradshaw, Lauren Schofield, and Linda Maynard, The Experiences of Mothers Aged Under 20: Analysis of data from the Growing Up in Scotland study, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Summary | Scottish Government press release
Date: 2014-Feb
A special issue of a journal examined the unintended gender consequences of European Union policies. Despite gender mainstreaming and other policy tools designed to encourage gender neutrality in all policy areas, the EU continued to enact and enforce legislation that had the potential to challenge the integrity of the European gender project.
Source: Women's Studies International Forum, Volume 39
Links: Table of contents
Notes: Articles included:
Heather MacRae, '(Re-)gendering integration: unintentional and unanticipated gender outcomes of European Union policy'
Ania Zbyszewska, 'The European Union Working Time Directive: securing minimum standards, with gendered consequences'
Gill Allwood, 'Gender mainstreaming and policy coherence for development: unintended gender consequences and EU policy'
Date: 2014-Feb
A think-tank report examined the factors behind maternal employment in the United Kingdom, particularly the role of childcare. It said that many mothers wanted to work or increase their working hours, but childcare, or the lack of flexibility in the work that was available, formed significant barriers. It said that there was a need for: more affordable childcare for children under the age of two, in particular to enable low-skilled parents and lone parents to enter, or re-enter, employment; the expansion of affordable childcare for three and four year olds, and for families where mothers were already in work, to enable increased working hours; and a supply-funded system to support levels of provision and reduce costs to around 10 per cent of disposable income.
Source: Spencer Thompson and Dalia Ben-Galim, Childmind the Gap: Reforming childcare to support mothers into work, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report | 4Children press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Feb
A paper examined remuneration levels among top-level managers in the United Kingdom, comparing the pay of men with women. It said that, while no pay gap was found at figure-head (CEO) level, there was strong pay discrimination among other top-level managers, with women earning less than males at similar seniority levels. It discussed variation across different employment contexts.
Source: Philipp Geiler and Luc Renneboog, Are Female Top Managers Really Paid Less?, Tilburg University
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Jan
A survey examined the views of mothers with children under 10 on their preferences for work and their likely responses to hypothetical changes in childcare support. The report said that: one in five working mothers would like to work on average a further 10 hours a week; nearly 40 per cent of non-working mothers would like to work on average 23 hours a week; high child care costs were the greatest barrier to work for both working and non-working mothers; and employers' inflexibility was also a barrier for working mothers who want to increase their hours.
Source: Giselle Cory and Vidhya Alakeson, Careers and Carers: Childcare and maternal labour supply, Resolution Foundation
Links: Report | Resolution press release
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined the association between mothers' involvement in paid employment when their children were young and their later employment prospects, focusing on differences between women with higher and lower level qualifications.
Source: Kitty Stewart, 'Employment trajectories and later employment outcomes for mothers in the British Household Panel Survey: an analysis by skill level', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 43 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan