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 remain 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 2024
We carried out a number of initiatives in 2024 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 2024 supporting these areas were:
The continuation of our 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 Employee 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.
This year, we’ve remained dedicated to our commitment to fostering a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) within the zoo. This was reflected in the results of our annual employee survey, where 81% of colleagues described Chester Zoo as a welcoming place to work. In March, we marked Neurodiversity Celebration Week across the organisation, with several colleagues sharing their experiences of neurodiversity in the workplace. In September, as part of our focus on National Inclusion Week, we introduced a suite of five new learning resources designed to support a more inclusive working environment. Additionally, we streamed a number of virtual seminars covering a range of ED&I topics, ensuring that all colleagues had access to engage with these discussions during work hours.
Our LGBTQ+ and Disability & Neurodiversity staff and allies networks have continued to meet regularly, actively planning a variety of events for the coming year. This commitment to inclusivity was further demonstrated by our largest-ever turnout at Chester Pride, where over 130 colleagues, volunteers, friends, and family came together in celebration.
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. Almost 30% of our workforce are part-time employees.
We are committed to maintaining the gender equality of our workforce through our future talent programmes such as our Apprenticeship program. 5 of our 15 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 917 members of staff identifying as male or female, as at the end of April 2024 payroll figures. Our staffing level in 2024 was higher than April 2023 when we had 869 members of staff. A high proportion of the staff in April 2024 were seasonal staff, recruited at that point of the year to support the zoo during its busiest period.
Staff numbers by gender – April 2024
Staff numbers
Female: 516
Male: 401
Total: 917
Percentage of total staff
Female: 56%
Male: 44%
Total: 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 2024 payroll figures. This falls below the latest reported mean UK National Gender Pay Gap (2023) of 12.1% (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) 45% of our employees are female (2023: 42%). In non-management roles (grades 3 to 9) 59% are female (2023: 58%). 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 2024, we paid slightly above the national living wage rate (applicable to those over 25), paying £11.44 per hour to all our grade 3 staff regardless of age.
Pay – hourly rate
Difference between men and women – Period April 2021 to April 2024
| All Employees | Mean Gender Pay Gap (in favour of men) | Median Gender Pay Gap (in favour of men) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10% | 7% |
| 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 7% in favour of men.
- Mean average earnings of employees in quartiles 1, 2 and 3 were also equal for both men and women.
- Mean average earnings of employees in quartile 4 was 9% in favour of men.
As of April 2024, five out of ten 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 2024, quartile 1 comprises 62% female compared to 38% male, while quartile 2 comprises 59% female and 41% male. Quartile 3 is 57% female and 43% male, while quartile 4 is 47% female and 53% male.
Bonus pay
No bonus was paid in the 12 months leading up to April 2024. 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 2025 we plan to take the following actions:
- Launch of our 2025 Inclusion strategy reaffirming our commitments to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce where we champion and celebrate unique backgrounds, perspectives, voices, experiences and ideas.
- Continue our 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.
- Review of our recruitment policy and practices, ensuring the way we attract, select and onboard employees is reflective of an inclusive organisation and supports us to recruit a diverse talent pool.
- 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.