Gender Pay Gap
What is the gender pay gap?
A gender pay gap is a measure of the difference in the average pay of men and women across an organisation as a whole.
Across the UK, a range of factors contributes towards the existence of a gender pay gap, such as the fact that men are statistically more likely to be in senior roles or that women are statistically more likely to be in part-time roles.
Reporting the Gender Pay Gap each year gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect, putting the spotlight on the important topic of gender equality and reaffirming our commitment to initiatives that support this.
Our approach at Chester Zoo
Here at Chester Zoo, we value and recognise the contributions of each and every single member of our team and we remained committed to supporting gender equality and breaking down the societal barriers that influence the make-up of our organisation. We believe that in having a diverse and inclusive workforce, and in reducing inequality and promoting equity, we can work together in support of our mission of Preventing Extinction.
Whilst the gender pay gap is not the same as Equal Pay, our pay policy ensures that all our team members are paid the same for doing the same or similar jobs, regardless of gender.
Our Actions in 2023
We carried out a number of initiatives in 2023 that can support both gender equality within Chester Zoo, as well as help to redress the systemic societal factors influencing inequality.
Our key focus areas are:
- Developing our people
- Cultivating a culture of inclusion
- Attracting diverse talent
Some of the initiatives we have taken in 2023 supporting these areas were:
The continuation of our Senior Leadership Programme – A learning programme aimed at all senior leaders across the organisation to develop their professional and personal skills, build confidence and capability, increase self-awareness and enable them to thrive in their roles.
The launch of a new Management Development Programme – Managing with Impact. This development programme is aimed specifically at managers and focuses on personal values, needs at work, reflective practice, managing vs leading, coaching and feedback
The development of Employee Network Groups to support employees and create opportunities to give feedback and initiate improvements to enhance the employee experience of our diverse workforce.
The continued embedment of our Hybrid Working and Flexible Working practices. We have a number of employees participating in our hybrid working scheme and many employees who have been supported in making flexible working arrangements.
The Staff Survey. We undertake an annual employee engagement survey and aim to ensure there is no ‘engagement gap’ between men and women in our workplace. We listen to feedback and create organisational and departmental action plans with teams to continue to improve our culture.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – In 2023 we rolled out a number of training programmes to raise awareness, upskill our employees and provide support. Our overall aim is to ensure that we are an inclusive organisation where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. Examples of training delivered are: Menopause Awareness, Understanding autism in the workplace and mental health in the workplace.
We are committed to maintaining the gender equality of our workforce through our future talent programmes such as our Apprenticeship program. 9 of our 14 apprentices are female. We are proud of all of our apprentices and believe that encouraging females into areas such as conservation, construction and hospitality is important in continuing to challenge stereotypes, breakdown barriers and promote equity.
How our pay is measured
In total, Chester Zoo employed 869 members of staff identifying as male or female, as at the end of April 2023 payroll figures. Our staffing level in 2023 was similar to April 2022 when we had 876 members of staff. A high proportion of the staff in April 2023 were seasonal staff, recruited at that point of the year to support the zoo during its busiest period.
Staff numbers by gender – April 2023
| Female | Male | Total | |
| Staff numbers | 478 | 391 | 869 |
| Percentage of total staff | 55% | 45% | 100% |
To ensure that every member of our team is paid equally, we use a job evaluation process to ensure we have a fair way of assessing the size of roles, accurate job description information and a fair pay structure.
We use an independent external third-party company to help with this process, Korn Ferry, to ensure this process is robust.
What is the gender pay gap at Chester Zoo?
At Chester Zoo, the average hourly gender pay gap across the organisation is 10% by mean (in favour of men) and 7% by median, based on April 2023 payroll figures. This falls below the latest reported UK National Gender Pay Gap (2023) of 14.3% (according to ONS figures).
The existence of a gender pay gap at Chester Zoo is predominantly due to female employees outnumbering male employees at the lower end of our pay scale. At management grades (grade 10 and above) 42% of our employees are female (2022: 41%). In non-management roles (grades 3 to 9) 58% are female (2022: 57%). This mirrors the gender ratio of applicants for these roles.
We are committed to a fair pay policy that supports our team members at the lower end of our pay scale. At the date of compiling these figures in April 2023, we paid slightly above the national living wage rate (applicable to those over 25), paying £10.49 per hour to all our grade 3 staff regardless of age.
Pay – hourly rate
Difference between men and women – Period April 2021 to April 2023
| All Staff | Mean Gender Pay Gap (in favour of men) | Median Gender Pay Gap (in favour of men) |
| 2023 | 10% | 7% |
| 2022 | 9% | 8% |
| 2021 | 10% | 0% |
Equal pay for equivalent roles
All Chester Zoo employees within the same pay grade are paid the same salary, regardless of gender (or age). Alongside our overall gender pay gap, we also report on the percentage of men and women in each pay quartile.
- Median Average earnings for the zoo’s employees across quartiles 1, 2 and 4 were equal with no gender pay gap.
- The median pay gap for employees within quartile 3 was 4% in favour of men.
- Mean average earnings of employees in quartiles 2 and 3 were also equal for both men and women.
- Mean average earnings of employees in quartile 1 was 1% in favour of women
- Mean average earnings of employees in quartile 4 was 9% in favour of men.
As of April 2023, five out of nine directorate roles (the most senior positions in the zoo) were held by women. Individual changes in this relatively small senior leadership team can sway the balance of the gender pay gap figures.
Gender split by pay quartiles
Overall, as of April 2023, quartile 1 comprises 59% female compared to 41% male, while quartile 2 comprises 60% female and 40% male. Quartile 3 is 56% female and 44% male, while quartile 4 is 45% female and 55% male.
Gender Split – by pay quartiles
Bonus pay
No bonus was paid in the 12 months leading up to April 2023. Hence, the gender pay gap in bonus pay by mean and by median was 0%.
Looking ahead
We are pleased to be able to report a Gender Pay Gap that is below the national average, however we also know that we have further to go to address the gap.
In 2024 we plan to take the following actions:
- Review of existing pay and grading framework – We aim to develop a framework that will maintain structure and transparency whilst allowing for pay progression and development.
- Implementation of a revised performance framework to motivate employees, enable effective communication and provide opportunities for employees to develop personally and professionally.
- Roll out of a company-wide resilience programme to develop key skills to support employees in managing their wellbeing and resilience.
- Focusing on our data – We will develop reporting and gather data to develop a greater understanding of recruitment and progression within Chester Zoo to help us identify if there are any barriers or challenges that we need to tackle.
Our overall focus is on encouraging a diverse talent pool in all roles we recruit to, ensuring there are opportunities for development and progression of all, and engendering a culture of inclusion where all employees are recognised and celebrated, and where everyone feels a sense of belonging and has the opportunity to thrive.