Gender pay gap reporting
Information about gender pay gap reporting at the University
From 2017 any organisation with more than 250 employees has a legal obligation to report its gender pay gap. The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across the University. As an employer with more than 250 employees the University will publish statutory calculations on its pay gap every year.
The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across the University. As an employer with more than 250 employees it is a legal requirement for the University to publish statutory calculations on its pay gap every year, based on the “snapshot date” of 31 March. The University has 12 months from the snapshot date in which to publish the pay information.
The regulations stipulate that the following information must be reported:
- mean gender pay gap in hourly pay
- median gender pay gap in hourly pay
- mean bonus gender pay gap
- median bonus gender pay gap
- proportion of males and females receiving a bonus payment
- proportion of males and females in each pay quartile
In accordance with the regulations and with reference to the Equality Act 2010 the University’s gender pay gap report includes data relating to persons who are engaged by the legal entity incorporated under the name ‘The Chancellors Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford’ (“the University”). This includes employees in University of Oxford departments, casual workers (including those undertaking casual teaching), those engaged through the University’s Temporary Staffing Service and those who work within Oxford University Press (“OUP”).
The University reporting does not include colleges or subsidiary companies, which are separate legal entities.
The University is committed to closing its gender pay gap and is undertaking a number of actions in relation to this. The gender pay gap report and narrative is published annually.
Gender pay gap in ordinary pay
On the 31 March 2023 the University’s workforce for the purpose of gender pay gap reporting consisted of 19,597 individuals: 10,905 women and 8,692 men.
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 19.1% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 11.1% lower |
The gender pay gaps identified are mainly attributable to the lack of women in senior roles in the University. There is an uneven distribution of men and women across grades, with women generally accounting for a higher percentage of staff at the lower end of the structure and a higher percentage of men in senior grades. A slightly greater proportion of women than men are employed in the upper middle pay quartile.
| Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 57.4% | 42.6% |
| Upper middle quartile | 45% | 55% |
| Lower middle quartile | 41.2% | 58.8% |
| Lower quartile | 33.7% | 66.3% |
Gender pay gap in bonus pay
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 30.9% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 0% lower |
| Proportion in receipt of bonus pay by legal sex | |
|---|---|
| Male | 62.7% |
| Female | 58.2% |
Gender pay is different to equal pay. The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across the University. Equal pay ensures we are paying the same level of pay to those who are performing the same work, or work assessed as being of equal value as determined by an analytical job evaluation scheme which looks at the skills and requirements of the job.
Previous data (31 March 2022)
On the 31 March 2022 the University’s workforce for the purpose of gender pay gap reporting consisted of 19,190 individuals: 10,560 women and 8,630 men.
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 19.6% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 13.6% lower |
The gender pay gaps identified are mainly attributable to the lack of women in senior roles in the University. There is an uneven distribution of men and women across grades, with women generally accounting for a higher percentage of staff at the lower end of the structure and a higher percentage of men in senior grades. A slightly greater proportion of women than men are employed in the upper middle pay quartile.
| Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 58% | 42% |
| Upper middle quartile | 45.6% | 54.4% |
| Lower middle quartile | 41.5% | 58.5% |
| Lower quartile | 34.8% | 65.2% |
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 61.6% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 0% lower |
| Proportion in receipt of bonus pay by legal sex | |
|---|---|
| Male | 10% |
| Female | 14.3% |
Previous data (31 March 2021)
On the 31 March 2021 the University’s workforce for the purpose of gender pay gap reporting consisted of 18,574 individuals: 10,013 women and 8,561 men.
The University's gender pay gaps were as follows
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 18.1% lower |
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 11.1% lower |
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 59%.6 | 40.4% |
| Upper middle quartile | 46.4% | 53.6% |
| Lower middle quartile | 43.0% | 57.0% |
| Lower quartile | 35.4% | 64.6% |
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 65.6% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 0% lower |
Previous data (31 March 2020)
On the 31 March 2020 the University’s workforce for the purpose of gender pay gap reporting consisted of 18,661 individuals: 10,038 women and 8,623 men.
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 20.1% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 13.7% lower |
| Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 59.6% | 40.4% |
| Upper middle quartile | 47% | 53% |
| Lower middle quartile | 41.4% | 58.6% |
| Lower quartile | 36.8% | 63.2% |
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 64.9% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 0% lower |
Previous data (31 March 2019)
On the 31 March 2019 the University’s workforce for the purpose of gender pay gap reporting consisted of 18,196 individuals: 9,632 women and 8,564 men. The University’s gender pay gaps are as follows:
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 21.6% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 13.7% lower |
| Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 60.7% | 39.3% |
| Upper middle quartile | 49% | 51% |
| Lower middle quartile | 41% | 59% |
| Lower quartile | 37.5% | 62.5% |
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 70.7% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 0% lower |
Previous data (31 March 2018)
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 22.6% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 13.7% lower |
| Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 62% | 38% |
| Upper middle quartile | 48.5% | 51.5% |
| Lower middle quartile | 40.9% | 59.1% |
| Lower quartile | 37.5% | 62.5% |
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 64.1% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 6.7% lower |
Previous data (31 March 2017)
On the 31 March 2017 the University’s workforce for the purpose of gender pay gap reporting consisted of 17,363 individuals: 9,238 women and 8,125 men. The University’s gender pay gaps are as follows:
| Gender pay gaps in ordinary pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 24.5% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in ordinary hourly pay | 13.7% lower |
| Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Upper quartile | 62.8% | 37.2% |
| Upper middle quartile | 48.8% | 51.2% |
| Lower middle quartile | 40.7% | 59.3% |
| Lower quartile | 34.9% | 65.1% |
| Gender pay gaps in bonus pay | Female earnings are |
|---|---|
| Mean gender pay gap in bonus pay | 79.0% lower |
| Median gender pay gap in bonus pay | 48.7% lower |
| Proportion in receipt of bonus pay | |
|---|---|
| Male | 7.6% |
| Female | 8.9% |
The University of Oxford is committed to acting to address the gender pay gap. In particular, the University has set three equality objectives to reduce gender inequality.
- To achieve a yearly increase in the proportion of female Statutory Professors, with 27% representation by 2029
Women now comprise 22% of all Statutory Professors, increasing from 20% in 2022.
Statutory Professor recruitment is underpinned by an active, robust and inclusive search for a diverse and global candidate pool. This year, electoral board chairs worked with the Chief Diversity Officer, Tim Soutphommasane, to consider how to build inclusivity into every stage of the hiring process. To ensure that electoral boards are fully representative we have engaged external electors, which has provided enhanced knowledge of the global field, and fresh perspectives on hiring at the most senior level.
During 2022/23, appointed candidates at Statutory Professor level were equally appointed from within the University’s existing Associate Professor pool, providing a pipeline for existing staff to reach the most senior level of academic appointment, as well as welcoming new colleagues from within the UK and overseas.
- To achieve a yearly increase in the proportion of female Associate Professors, with 35% representation by 2029
In 2023, women comprised 33% of all Associate Professors, increasing from 32% in 2022.
The Collegiate University’s Associate Professor Inclusive Recruitment (APIR) Guidelines brings together good practice from across the University as well as the UK higher education community and have been embedded since launched in 2022.
The University is undertaking a project to create an Academic Career and Reward Framework for University academic and research staff, with the objective of recommending a set of proposals to improve the career paths, workload, and reward and recognition of academic staff.
- Representation of women on Council and its main committees to be in the range of 40-60%.
In 2023, women comprised 38% of members of Council and its five main committees, a small decrease from 39% in 2022.
The Planning and Council Secretariat, together with the Equality and Diversity Unit (EDU), are working on delivering 18 actions approved by Council in 2022. A number of these are underway, including improved communications about Council and committee vacancies in newsletters across the University, information sessions for interested candidates featuring current Council members, and vacancies to departments and faculties to build early awareness and an early pipeline of interested committee members.
Institutional Athena Swan
In February 2023, for the first time, the University was awarded an institutional Silver Athena Swan award, acknowledging the progress that has been made in addressing a number of gender gaps across the University over the last five years. Specifically, there has been sustained upward progress in closing the gender gap in academic roles and in prioritising support for parents and carers, with a number of family-friendly initiatives implemented, including Day One entitlement to paid family leave.
The award accompanies a five-year action plan, outlining eight objectives to be achieved by 2028, with a number of objectives specifically tackling the structures perpetuating the gender pay gap.
Progress in delivering the action plan is well underway, with particular highlights of 2022-23 including the publication of the Equity in Research Funding report and action plan, the launch of Professional Services Together, with a specific focus on career pathways and professional services leadership, and the pilot of the Report + Support tool to tackle bullying and harassment across the University.
Athena Swan in departments and faculties
There has been a huge leap in the number of departments/faculties achieving the equality standards set out in the Athena Swan Charter, with 42 departments/faculties achieving awards as of December 2023, increasing from 40 departments in 2022.
Since submitting their first Athena Swan Bronze application in 2012, the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences became the first department within the University to achieve a Gold Athena Swan award in 2023 in recognition of their outstanding activities to promote and advance gender equality. They are one of only 22 departments in the UK to hold a Gold award, putting them amongst the top 3% of award-holders in the UK. Within the Medical Sciences Division, all other departments hold Silver awards in recognition of the impact their activities have on advancing equality.
The Regulations came into force on 31 March 2017. Public sector employers have 12 months from 31 March 2017 to publish the data.
The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across the University.
The figures to be reported are as follows:
- Median and mean gross hourly pay gap
- Median and mean bonus pay gaps
- Percentage of female and percentage of male relevant employees who received bonus pay
- Percentage of female and percentage of male relevant employees in each pay quartile
The "Mean" hourly rate is calculated by adding all of the hourly rates together and dividing by the number of individuals in the data set.
The median hourly rate is calculated by arranging the hourly rates of all individuals in the data set in numerical order to identify the middle (or median) hourly rate. 50% of individuals will earn more than this hourly rate and 50% will earn less.
The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s mean and median earnings across the University and is represented as a percentage.
The data must be published on the University’s website and be publically available. The data also needs to be published on the government’s online reporting service.
The University is legally required to publish its gender pay gap as specified in the regulations on an annual basis by the 30 March each year and based on the snapshot date of 31 March the previous year.
The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between mens and womens average earnings across the University. Equal pay ensures we are paying the same level of pay to those who are performing the same work, or work assessed as being of equal value as determined by an analytical job evaluation scheme which looks at the skills and requirements of the job. It is possible therefore to have a gender pay gap without having any equal pay gaps.
