Businesswoman carrying baby boy while holding smart phone at home - stock photo
Businesswoman carrying baby boy while holding smart phone at home - stock photo
Businesswoman carrying baby boy while holding smart phone at home - stock photo
Businesswoman carrying baby boy while holding smart phone at home - stock photo

Business

'Motherhood penalty' causes UK gender pay gap to widen

Gap between what the average man and woman are paid each hour has widened by 2.4 per cent

Soraya Ebrahimi
Soraya Ebrahimi

March 07, 2023

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  • Arabic

A sharp increase in the cost of childcare has worsened a “motherhood penalty”, causing the UK’s gender pay gap to widen and pricing many women out of work altogether, a report has shown.

Accountancy company PwC found in its Women in Work index that the nation’s average pay gap widened by 2.4 percentage points to 14.4 per cent in 2021.

This shows that UK companies have taken a step back when it comes to gender parity, as the gap between what the average man and the average women are paid each hour has widened.

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Progress on equal treatment of women under the law slumps to 20-year low, World Bank says

At the rate the pay gap is closing, it will now take more than 50 years to reach gender pay parity, PwC said.

Furthermore, the UK dropped five places in the firm’s annual index of women’s employment outcomes, which ranks 33 countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The UK stood in 14th place in 2021, down from ninth place in 2019, meaning that as well as the pay gap, indicators such as the female labour force participation rate has declined and more women have become unemployed.

Are you working in a toxic office? — in pictures

Nearly 60 per cent of employees in the region have experienced toxic behaviour in the workplace, a McKinsey Health Institute study found. Getty
Nearly 60 per cent of employees in the region have experienced toxic behaviour in the workplace, a McKinsey Health Institute study found. Getty
Entrepreneur Emma Burdett, 43, says she suffered a mental breakdown after being bullied when she worked in a sales role in Dubai. Photo: Emma Burdett
Entrepreneur Emma Burdett, 43, says she suffered a mental breakdown after being bullied when she worked in a sales role in Dubai. Photo: Emma Burdett
Bader Shahin, 36, says he was confused and distressed after his boss began to humiliate him. Photo: Bader Shahin
Bader Shahin, 36, says he was confused and distressed after his boss began to humiliate him. Photo: Bader Shahin
Account director Caroline Perch, 35, said she moved back to the UK due to the toxic culture in a number of offices. Photo: Heather Broderick
Account director Caroline Perch, 35, said she moved back to the UK due to the toxic culture in a number of offices. Photo: Heather Broderick
The survey found 66 per cent of respondents reported mental health challenges and 55 per cent distress, compared to 32 per cent globally.
The survey found 66 per cent of respondents reported mental health challenges and 55 per cent distress, compared to 32 per cent globally.

Around the world, progress towards gender equality in work was set back by at least two years due to the Covid pandemic, the report found.

Women’s employment losses from Covid were relatively worse than men’s.

Moreover, childcare costs have skyrocketed in the UK since 2015 while wage growth has slowed, PwC said.

Average nursery costs per week rose by more than a fifth between 2015 and 2022, while average weekly earnings rose by 14 per cent.

And net childcare costs represented almost a third of the income of a family on the average UK wage, compared to as little as 1 per cent in Germany.

It means that women have born the brunt of higher childcare costs when it comes to their careers, the report suggested.

Is working from home here to stay — in pictures

Working from home or hybrid working – splitting the week between the workplace and home – has become the "new normal" for many. Getty
Working from home or hybrid working – splitting the week between the workplace and home – has become the "new normal" for many. Getty
More employees are looking for jobs that can be done remotely. Getty
More employees are looking for jobs that can be done remotely. Getty
Middle East law firm Al Tamimi and Co says in an online briefing document that "the UAE is shifting to more flexible working arrangements". Getty
Middle East law firm Al Tamimi and Co says in an online briefing document that "the UAE is shifting to more flexible working arrangements". Getty
Working from home has its challenges, with the need for a proper work space and a routine - include healthy eating. Getty Images
Working from home has its challenges, with the need for a proper work space and a routine - include healthy eating. Getty Images
A survey from the property company Savills published in May found that seven out of ten Dubai employees had returned to their offices for at least some days of the week. Bloomberg
A survey from the property company Savills published in May found that seven out of ten Dubai employees had returned to their offices for at least some days of the week. Bloomberg
Advances in technology – notably Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and file sharing – are also key to the growth of working from home. Reuters
Advances in technology – notably Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and file sharing – are also key to the growth of working from home. Reuters

“The motherhood penalty is now the most significant driver of the gender pay gap and, in the UK, women are being hit even harder by the rising cost of living and increasing cost of childcare,” said Larice Stielow, senior economist at PwC.

“With this and the gap in free childcare provision between ages one and three, more women are being priced out of work.

“For many, it is more affordable to leave work than remain in employment and pay for childcare, especially for families at lower income levels.”

Top 20 cities in the world with best work-life balance — in pictures

1. Copenhagen in Denmark is the best city to live in for work-life balance. Alamy
1. Copenhagen in Denmark is the best city to live in for work-life balance. Alamy
2. Reykjavik, Iceland, ranks second, with a short commute time and plenty of paid holidays. Corbis
2. Reykjavik, Iceland, ranks second, with a short commute time and plenty of paid holidays. Corbis
3. Oslo is the most populous city in Norway and the third-best city in the world when it comes to work-life sway.
3. Oslo is the most populous city in Norway and the third-best city in the world when it comes to work-life sway.
4. Taking fourth position is Helsinki in Finland. One factor that the capital city stood out for was its happiness and well-being.
4. Taking fourth position is Helsinki in Finland. One factor that the capital city stood out for was its happiness and well-being.
5. Stockholm, Sweden, scored highly for the average number of holidays taken per capita. Getty Images
5. Stockholm, Sweden, scored highly for the average number of holidays taken per capita. Getty Images
6. Frankfurt is Germany's best city for work-life balance. AFP
6. Frankfurt is Germany's best city for work-life balance. AFP
7. Linz in Austria ranks seventh. Getty Images
7. Linz in Austria ranks seventh. Getty Images
8. Klagenfurt in Austria has an average of only nine minutes' commute time. Unsplash / Katie Archibald
8. Klagenfurt in Austria has an average of only nine minutes' commute time. Unsplash / Katie Archibald
9. The Hague in The Netherlands records a happiness score of seven out of 10. Alamy
9. The Hague in The Netherlands records a happiness score of seven out of 10. Alamy
10. The small Swiss town of Basel ranks 10th. Getty Images
10. The small Swiss town of Basel ranks 10th. Getty Images
11. People in Austria's Graz get an average of seven hours and 22 minutes of shut-eye each night. Weinhaeupl / Osterreich Werbung
11. People in Austria's Graz get an average of seven hours and 22 minutes of shut-eye each night. Weinhaeupl / Osterreich Werbung
12. Dresden, the capital of Saxony in Germany, is the 12th best city in the world for work-life balance. Getty Images
12. Dresden, the capital of Saxony in Germany, is the 12th best city in the world for work-life balance. Getty Images
13. Bern, Switzerland, has a happiness score of eight out of 10. Unsplash
13. Bern, Switzerland, has a happiness score of eight out of 10. Unsplash
14. The average number of hours worked in Hannover, Germany, is 1,386. Unsplash
14. The average number of hours worked in Hannover, Germany, is 1,386. Unsplash
15. Vienna in Austria ranks high for work-life balance. AFP
15. Vienna in Austria ranks high for work-life balance. AFP
16. Lausanne is one of four Swiss cities in the top 20. Photo: AllDetails / Regis Colombo
16. Lausanne is one of four Swiss cities in the top 20. Photo: AllDetails / Regis Colombo
17. Geneva, Switzerland, is the 17th best city in the world for a good work-life balance. Getty Images
17. Geneva, Switzerland, is the 17th best city in the world for a good work-life balance. Getty Images
18. Rotterdam residents work an average of 1,440 hours per year. Photo: Rotterdam Partners
18. Rotterdam residents work an average of 1,440 hours per year. Photo: Rotterdam Partners
19. Innsbruck in Austria, where residents work 1,611 hours per year. Getty Images
19. Innsbruck in Austria, where residents work 1,611 hours per year. Getty Images
20. The Netherlands' capital city is not the country's best for work-life balance, with Amsterdam outranked by The Hague. EPA
20. The Netherlands' capital city is not the country's best for work-life balance, with Amsterdam outranked by The Hague. EPA

Alongside less expensive childcare, societal attitudes about gender roles need to shift to tackle the motherhood penalty, the analysis suggested.

It found that fathers taking more paternity leave could pave the way for more women remaining in full-time employment in the UK, therefore improving its overall ranking in the index.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 10.45pm, Tuesday
Watch Live: beIN Sports HD

While you're here
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOlive%20Gaea%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vivek%20Tripathi%2C%20Jessica%20Scopacasa%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELicensed%20by%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20World%20Trade%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Climate-Tech%2C%20Sustainability%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECornerstone%20Venture%20Partners%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

360Vuz PROFILE

Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah 
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology 
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million 
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

Pandemic Parenting
Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.

Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.

The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.

While you're here
2019 Asian Cup final

Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

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Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
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Updated: March 07, 2023, 12:01 AM`
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