According to new research, women don’t ask for as many pay rises as their male counterparts and are given less pay rises as a results. Research from specialist recruiter, Randstad, reveals that women only average two pay increases in five years compared to three for men.

Despite the gender pay gap being the smallest it has ever been, it seems women are more fearful of asking for pay rises, according to the survey of 2000 employees. There is also a lingering perception across some industries that men are paid more than women.

In finance and professional services, 72% of men in London believe they are paid more than women. However, 79% of men in construction and engineering believe they are paid equally though almost half of the women asked disagreed, believing men are paid more.

When reflecting on these findings, Randstad Middle East and UK MD, Mark Bull, said:

Employers are working hard to promote equal pay and encourage women across all industries but there is still work to be done.

The pay gap may be the narrowest it has ever been but it still exists, and it seems women remain more reluctant than their male counterparts to ask for a raise.

The workers, who were picked from a wide range of sectors, felt a number of issues held women back, with 35% citing employer attitudes as the top factor. Many of the respondents also said there was a still a glass ceiling in place in some industries, particularly for women and minorities. A further 47% said not enough is being done to encourage women into the top jobs.

The research also revealed that women tend to ask for fewer pay rises – only a fifth had asked for one in the last three years compared to a third of men. The top reason given for not asking for a raise was fear of being turned down (35%) or jeopardising their current job. This was closely followed by worry over their boss’s reaction (34%), the thought of having to work longer hours after promotion (15%) and other people’s attitudes (14%).

Mr Bull said:

It makes sound business sense for companies to address the issues still facing women in the workplace, including closing the pay gap, providing ongoing support for progression and rewards for achievements.

Companies that do promote women and actively help them progress are giving themselves access to a greater pool of talent, making the most of their workforce, boosting growth and positively affecting their bottom line.

Improvements therefore need to be made to the way companies reveal their pay structures and more needs to be done to ensure there is further transparency in the workplace. This is likely to be supported by proposed government legislation which will compel companies with more than 250 employees to publish the average difference between male and female pay.

Read the full report along with concise industry breakdowns.

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