42% gender pay gap between male and female Scottish solicitors

In July, the UK government announced that businesses of more than 250 employees must publish their wage data by gender. We thought the gender pay gap between English solicitors was bad enough, with females getting paid on average 24% lower than their male counterparts.

However, figures released by the Law Society of Scotland reveal that, shockingly, female solicitors in Scotland are paid on average 42% less than males working at a similar stage in their career. The figure was established by comparing average full-time salaries of men and women at various stages of their career.

Janet Hood, convener of the Law Society of Scotland’s Equality and Diversity committee, said: “A 42 percent gender pay gap reflects very badly on what is otherwise a modern and forward thinking profession – with some female solicitors effectively working for free for five months of the year.”

Since 2011 Scotland has seen a rise in the overall gender pay gap, whereas it is declining elsewhere in the UK.

Hood said: “Quite simply, it is not something we can afford to ignore, for either ethical or business reasons.”

Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘Women’s Pledge’, which brought in a range of policies promoting equality, is clearly yet to make a substantial difference. The pressure is now on for Scottish firms to tackle these issues.

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