eir halves gender pay gap in two years

The gender pay gap at telecommunications company eir has more than halved since its inaugural report two years ago.

The gender pay gap is the difference in the average hourly wage of all men and all women in an organisation.

At eir, the gap now stands at 5.5%, down from 7.2% last year, and 11.2% in 2021.

Firms of all sizes are being mandated to produce a report outlining the differential in pay and bonuses between their male and female employees over the coming years.

Companies with 250 or more employees were asked to select a date in June last year as their ‘relevant date’ on which to base their reports.

This is the second year in which larger companies will have to publish their reports in a manner that is easily accessible to the public, such as on their website.

eir said it is committed to further narrowing the gender gap by facilitating increased representation of women in senior roles and providing targeted development opportunities in areas where there is under-representation.

Highlighting efforts made this year, eir has concentrated on reducing bias and promoting professional development within its performance management framework. This includes robust training programmes and the integration of personalised development planning. 

The company said it remains steadfast in creating a workplace that actively supports women. eir was among the first companies to implement a fertility policy, granting paid time off for employees undergoing fertility treatment. It also instituted a compassionate pregnancy loss policy, providing paid leave to employees who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy. Moreover, eir extends support to its employees in navigating challenges related to menopause and domestic violence. 

Oliver Loomes, CEO of eir, said the notable achievement of reducing the gender pay gap to now 5.5% in a relatively brief timeframe substantiates the wisdom of the age-old saying: what gets measured gets managed.  

“We recognise that there is more to do and, as I start my third year as Chief Executive of eir in 2024, I reaffirm my commitment to reducing this gap further in the coming years. Ensuring equal opportunities for women and other under-represented groups is integral to our business and societal advancement.

“Having personally witnessed the advantages that diversity of thought and experience brings, I am steadfast in my belief that it enriches decision-making processes, making important business decisions more comprehensive and insightful.” 

Sandra Donohue, eir’s Chief People Officer, said the company’s strategic focus involved increasing the representation of women in senior roles, strengthening talent review and succession planning process, accelerating internal promotion of top talent, and implementing targeted development opportunities.

“Our journey toward gender equality is ongoing, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to becoming an employer of choice for STEM graduates and ensuring equal opportunities for all.”

Several factors contribute to eir’s remaining gender pay gap, including a higher concentration of male employees in specialised engineering roles responsible for building and maintaining physical infrastructure and IT networks. The extended average tenure of nearly 30 years among these employees is a factor in the elevated salaries.  

The company said it is important to note that the gender pay gap is not uniform across all sectors of the organisation. Many segments such as customer operations and senior management levels have gender pay parity. Notably, eir boasts a gender-balanced senior management team and two-thirds of eir’s commercial teams are led by women.