Sopra Steria today publishes its gender pay gap data, measuring the average difference in pay between men and women across the organisation.
Gender diversity is important to Sopra Steria and our ambition is to create a more inclusive workplace culture that truly embraces all aspects of human difference.
We are committed to building a workforce where every employee feels valued, fairly treated, respected and able to reach their full potential. The different backgrounds, experience and perspectives of our employees provide rich sources of potential innovation and are vital to the ongoing success of our Company. Gender pay gap reporting gives us another lens by which to evaluate the range of steps we are taking to recognise the important contributions made by our diverse workforce. Though it does not paint the complete picture, it measures both the gender balance within an organisation and the difference between the average earnings of all male and female employees, irrespective of their role or seniority. It is distinct from equal pay, which is about ensuring that men and women are paid the same for carrying out work of equal value.
Our latest report shows that our gender pay gap has not changed significantly with a mean (average) gender pay gap of 28% and a median (middle) gender pay gap of 37%. Our gender bonus gap has reduced, with a 14% reduction in the mean bonus gap (to 41%) and a 30% reduction in the median bonus gap (to 45%). According to the PWC Women in Tech Report 2018, just 15% of the people working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) roles across the UK are female and only 5% of leadership positions in the technology industry are held by women. It is therefore encouraging that Sopra Steria has an overall gender split of 33% female employees and that 18% of our upper quartile paid employees are also female. The size of the Sopra Steria gender pay gap is very similar to those of many other companies in the technology sector, where women continue to be significantly underrepresented at all levels. However, this is not something that any of us should be prepared to accept in the longer term and we will continue to make changes in our own organisation, while also seeking to help drive structural change in the gender make up of our industry.