Mean gender pay gap falls 30% in one year
Lidl Ireland has announced a 6.2% mean gender pay gap for 2021, declining 30% from 8.8% in 2020 and substantially lower than the 11.3%[i] average pay gap in Ireland. The organisation also announced a zero (0%) median pay gap. Gender pay gap is the difference between the average hourly pay rate of male and female full pay relevant employees. Lidl has a gender neutral pay policy, meaning men and women are paid the same rate at the same levels in hourly and salaried roles. While Lidl Ireland is pleased with its progress to date, it is taking further steps to eliminate the mean gender pay gap across its 5,000 plus workforce in the Republic of Ireland. The announcement comes ahead of a legal requirement in Ireland for companies with over 250 employees to report on their gender pay gap.
Speaking at the announcement, Maeve McCleane, Chief People Officer & Board Executive at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland, said “We strongly believe in the positive impact that a zero gender pay gap can have, not only on our own colleagues, but Ireland’s society and economy, by tapping into wider talent pools across genders, ensuring a multiplicity of opinions and approaches, developing enhanced teamwork, ensuring that we retain both our female and male colleagues and that genders across our workforce are reflective of our broad and diverse customer base.”
“We have been laying the foundation to lower our mean gender pay gap and have launched several colleague initiatives to reduce obstacles and provide steppingstones to career progression for females across their life cycles. These include more flexible working policies and hours, talent forums to ensure a fair and transparent approach to the appraisal process, our Leadership Academy and an updated recruitment process to encourage better retention as well as compassionate leave policies, enhanced maternity leave policies, a Lupilu buddies programme and menopause support. We were the first retailer in Ireland to commit to the UN Women Empowerment Principles in 2020 and are about to launch a structured Women in Leadership Mentorship programme, as well as support policies for colleagues undergoing fertility treatment.”
“We are the first retailer in Ireland to produce a report on our gender pay gap ahead of the legislation being introduced, and to outline the proactive steps we are taking to close this gap. While gratified that we have reduced our gender pay gap by 30% in the last year, our mean gap of 6.2% is due to more males being placed in higher paid roles, and we are determined to provide every opportunity for more women to move up the ranks.”
“I can personally speak to the real opportunities that exist here for women, having joined Lidl Ireland in 2005 as a District Manager and been guided and mentored on how to take on more senior leadership roles since.”
Commenting on the report, Aoife Clarke, Communications & CSR Director, Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said “Lidl Ireland has proudly supported the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) since 2016, launching our “Level the Playing Field” campaign for females in sport. During that time, we have reflected seriously on our 5,000 plus colleagues and on how we can also level the playing field for our colleagues internally at Lidl Ireland. We have recently renewed our support for LGFA for a further five years and this partnership will run alongside our commitment to our colleagues.”
The 6.2% Lidl Ireland mean gender pay gap compares favourably in Ireland where the average gender pay gap is 11.3%[1], at a European level where it is 14.1%[2], and with the UK retail sector which has a mean gender pay gap of just under 12%[3].
The Lidl Ireland’s mean pay gap of 6.2% and median pay gap of 0% also compares well versus the Aldi UK reported mean gap in 2020 of 10.25% and median gap of 7.08%[4] and complements the Lidl GB 2020 mean gap of 6.6% and median pay gap of 0.2%[5], the lowest mean pay gap amongst nine food retailers in the UK in 2020[6]. No further data has been reported in Ireland amongst retailers.
Lidl has had an excellent workplace reputation for many years, having been the first retailer and amongst the first large organisations in Ireland to commit to the Living Wage in 2015 and again in 2022, an award-winning graduate recruitment programme and the only supermarket in Ireland to be awarded the globally recognised Top Employer certification in 2021 and 2022.
