Equal Pay Statement

The public sector duty to promote equality requires South Lanarkshire Council to develop and publish an Equal Pay Statement on how it is meeting its duty, having due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, particularly in relation to employment and pay.

South Lanarkshire Council supports the principle of equal opportunities in employment and believes in equal pay for the same or broadly similar work, for work rated as equivalent and for work of equal value, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

This Equal Pay Statement complies with the legal duties under the legislation outlined below and is published in accordance with the legislative timetable.

This Equal Pay Statement is based on the key principles of equity, equality, inclusion, engagement, partnership, transparency and shared responsibility.

Policy on Equal Pay

Aims

South Lanarkshire Council is committed to ensuring equal pay structures for all our employees and will continue to:

• ensure that all staff doing work of equal value receive the same level of pay through the use of an analytical job evaluation scheme for Local Government Employees and job sizing for Teaching staff
• conduct regular equal pay audits to monitor the impact of our pay structure and put in place measures to reduce any identified occupational segregation and pay gaps
• ensure recruitment and employment practices promote equality and are free from discrimination
• provide training and guidance for those involved in reviewing and determining pay
• inform employees of how their pay is determined
• respond to grievances on equal pay in accordance with the council’s Grievance Policy
• inform and consult with the recognised trade unions, as appropriate

Legislation

This Equal Pay Statement was produced taking into account and incorporating the Equality Act 2010 and The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012.

This Equal Pay Statement contains principles that are underpinned by council policies, guidance, Codes of Practice, the council's equality scheme and national schemes such as those from the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) and Scottish Joint Council for Local Government Employees (SJC).

Job evaluation for Local Government Employees

South Lanarkshire Council, in compliance with its obligations in terms of the Scottish Joint Council National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service implement a non-discriminatory and objective Job Evaluation Scheme to determine the value of our jobs and apply all factors equally irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The equal pay policy is based on the following principles:

• equal pay for like work, work rated as equivalent, and work of equal value
• transparent and non-discriminatory pay and grading arrangements
• regular monitoring to identify and address emerging inequalities
• partnership working with recognised trade unions

Job sizing for teachers

South Lanarkshire Council Teaching complies with the terms and conditions of service outlined by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).  The teaching salary scales and spines are set out in the SNCT Salary Tables.  Promoted postholders are placed on the appropriate salary point as determined by the SNCT Job Sizing Process. This process ensures that equal work is paid equally irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

The remuneration of teachers in non-promoted posts is set nationally by the SNCT.

Gender pay gap and contributing factors

We recognise that the gender pay gap is influenced by structural factors rather than unequal pay for equal work alone. Analysis of workforce data indicates that key contributing factors include:

Occupational segregation (horizontal and vertical)

Occupational segregation is considered one of the key contributors to creating pay gaps through both vertical and horizontal segregation:

• horizontal segregation is where one gender is clustered into particular types of jobs or areas of work, for example, more women working as care workers and more men working as mechanics
• vertical segregation is where one gender is clustered within particular grades or levels of seniority, for example, more men working as senior managers and more women working in lower graded posts

Equal Pay Audits will report on occupational segregation, and actions will be identified with the intention of reducing the level of occupational segregation where it occurs.

• patterns of part-time working, with a higher proportion of women in part-time roles
• under-representation of women in senior leadership and higher-grade roles
• concentration of women in traditionally lower-paid occupational groups, such as care, clerical, and catering services

We use employee data, gender pay gap reporting, and workforce analysis to identify and assess these factors and inform targeted actions.

We acknowledge that addressing vertical segregation is essential to reducing the gender pay gap.

Equal Pay review and monitoring

South Lanarkshire Council is committed to:

• undertaking regular equal pay reviews to identify any unjustified pay differentials
• monitoring pay, grading, progression, and allowances
• analysing gender pay gap data on an annual basis
• reporting findings through the Mainstreaming Equalities Report and other governance arrangements

This work is conducted in partnership with recognised trade unions and employee representatives, ensuring transparency and shared ownership of outcomes.

Conclusion

South Lanarkshire Council recognises that achieving equal pay is an ongoing process requiring continuous monitoring, partnership working, and targeted action. Through its structured approach to pay, robust governance arrangements, and commitment to addressing occupational segregation, we aim to reduce the gender pay gap and promote fairness and equality for all employees