According to the BBC, the gender pay gap is “the percentage difference between average hourly earnings for men and women.”

This is not to be confused with gender pay discrimination, which is when you are not being paid the equal salary for the equal amount of work between men and women.

The gender pay gap can encompass many things: it can include a lack of opportunities given to women in the workforce, better commissions and bonuses given to men, a lack of women in higher managerial roles, and women being paid less for doing work than their male counterparts in similar roles.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the national UK average gender pay gap is 8.9%.

Meaning, that on average across all businesses, women are paid 8.9% less than their male counterparts.

If you want to visualise this, we only need to look at the UK’s Equal Pay Date.

In 2020 this was November 20^th – and it signified that, based upon the gender pay gap, women were effectively working for free from this date onwards until the end of the year.

When we put it like that, it’s pretty hard to believe, right?

Whilst there are laws in place that are supposed to protect women and prevent them from being paid less than their male co-workers, it’s not as effective as some critics want it to be.

Meaning, that the gender pay gap is still a very real and very pervasive issue.

So what is the state of the marketing gender pay gap?

With the ONS demonstrating that the average gender pay gap is 8.9%, it’s surprising to know that the average marketing gender pay gap is actually 28%.

At its highest, the marketing gender pay gap is a staggering 47% when it comes to those working in the charity and not for profit sector.

Why is it so high?

It’s no secret that the marketing industry – particularly junior and entry-level roles – are dominated by women.

According to Agility PR Solutions, those in marketing are usually “highly educated, and mostly women.”

So why are women so unfairly paid in the marketing industry?

Well, it could be that it becomes somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

All it takes is for a female marketer to be paid less than she should once, for this to impact her career for years to come.

Marketing Week explores this issue, arguing that even if a female marketer were seeking a new job, the fact that they would have to disclose their current salary (which is likely lower than they deserve) would work against them.

As they put it, “even if the new employer offers her an increase, working off the previous wage could perpetuate any existing inequalities.”

Meaning, that if female marketers are disadvantaged from the outset, no matter the pay rise or promotion, it will always be incomparable to their male co-workers.

And it’s this knowledge that is motivating so many women to actually leave the marketing industry – 11% of women, in fact, are looking to leave “soon.”

As a result, with women starting to leave the marketing industry, it could only make things worse for the women who are left behind.

Now that you’re aware of how large the marketing gender pay gap is, what are some ways that we can fix it?

The marketing industry needs to make sure that it addresses this issue and remedies the situation before it continues on the current trajectory and the gap only grows further.

One of the most common solutions people suggest when it comes to remedying the marketing gender pay gap is by encouraging women to be more upfront about their demands for a salary increase or promotion.

There is a general consensus that women in the workforce aren’t as forthcoming or assertive when it comes to asking their superiors for these things.

As a result, many people attribute this as the number 1 reason as to why the gender pay gap exists.

However, what if we told you that this was wrong?

Whilst so many people seem to think that women simply don’t ask for pay rises as much as their male co-workers, this isn’t true at all.

In fact, numerous studies have found that women ask for pay rises at the exact same rate as men.

As Otegha Uwagba, writing for The Cut, puts it: when it comes to women in the workforce “we are supposedly too timid, or too self-deprecating to march into boardrooms and demand what is rightfully ours, and as a result we end up being paid less.”

But, she goes on to disprove this theory.

“In a 2017 study titled Do Women Ask?, researchers were surprised to find that women actually do ask for raises as often as men — we’re just more likely to be turned down.”

What’s more, a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review actually states that when it comes to asking for a salary raise, whilst asking at the same rate as each other, men are granted one 20% of the time.

Women, on the other hand, are only granted one 15% of the time.

So if the issue isn’t women asking for equal treatment, what’s left to do to fix it?

One of the best ways to improve or remedy the marketing gender pay gap is to enlist the help of male co-workers.

It’s only by male co-workers being upfront about their salaries, the better treatment they receive, and their superior bonuses that women will enable women to be better informed.

As a result, female marketers are better equipped to tackle the issue.

Maybe it’s classic British upper-lip-ness, or a culture of shame, that is stopping us from discussing our salaries with the people we work with. But, this is actually extremely important when it comes to fostering an equal workplace.

As the New York Times puts it, “Open discussion of salaries among peers and co-workers, experts said, is a powerful tool to fight pay inequity.”

Meaning, that it’s beneficial to all employees for them to discuss how much they’re being paid.

Particularly, men need to be actively helping and engaging with women to ensure that they’re not being taken advantage of.

In Hollywood, there are plenty of male actors who have taken a stand against the pay inequality in their industries.

Emma Stone revealed in an interview in 2017 that some of her male colleagues had donated their share of higher wages to Stone in order to remedy the pay disparity between them, and make their salaries equal.

Now, no one is expecting male marketers to do this for their female colleagues.

But, it is necessary for men to take an active role in helping their colleagues.

Using their positions of privilege within the office, male marketers should be ensuring that they’re doing everything they can to aid their female counterparts in gaining pay equality.

Currently in the UK, the Government has made it a legal requirement for businesses that have over 250 employees to publish their pay records.

Each year, companies have to publicly share how much they’re paying their employees so that the government can determine the pay gaps at each business, as well as across the country.

This acts as a great incentive for companies to pay their employees equally and fix the marketing gender pay gap, or otherwise face backlash from the public.

What’s more, companies that don’t submit these statistics to the government in time face punishment.

If the companies refuse or miss the submission deadline, they’re faced with enforcement proceedings that could impede their business.

However, some critics believe that this isn’t enough.

There are plenty of companies in the UK operating with less than 250 employees, meaning that these businesses are exempt from providing the valuable data.

And when we consider that it’s within these smaller companies, usually without a HR or strict corporate policies, that the salaries are often dependent on the decision of the CEO.

Which makes it all too easy for them to underpay their female employees as no one is monitoring this.

What’s more, this information isn’t exactly easily accessible.

The average marketer may not be aware that this data exists, given how little publicity it receives.

What’s more, it can also be hard to understand.

As a result, the data isn’t having the impact that it is meant to.

If the average female marketer isn’t aware specifically of the marketing gender pay gap data, what is the point of it?

Making it more public means female marketers are able to use it to their advantage.

Another thing businesses can do to improve on their marketing gender pay gap is to ensure a more diverse hiring process.

As we mentioned in our diversity in the workplace article, one of the ways to make your workplace more inclusive is to diversify the hiring process.

This can be done by using platforms like Creative Access which allows you to hire people from underrepresented backgrounds, or prioritising certain types of applicants.

And this can certainly be applied to the marketing industry.

There is a serious lack of female marketers in managerial and higher up roles – particularly CEOs and CMOs – and this can be remedied.

By employing more women in superior positions, you’re able to make change throughout the company too.

Without female marketers in the board room, how is change supposed to happen throughout the company?

Employing change from the top down can have lasting impacts on those below, and can make a difference when it comes to the marketing gender pay gap.

It’s clear to see that the gender pay gap is still rife in society, particularly within the marketing industry.

With a massive 28% marketing gender pay gap, something needs to be done urgently to fix this and ensure that women are being treated fairly in the workplace.

It’s not something that many marketers, particularly low-level marketers, are aware of.

But by being transparent and open about the salaries we’re on, the treatment we’re receiving in work, and the bonuses we’re earning, we can change this.

So, how fair and equal is your workplace? Can you say with 100% certainty that your employees are being paid the right wage?

Let us know your thoughts on improving!

According to the World Health Organisation, it’s estimated that 264 million people around the globe suffer from depression. What’s more, the organisation Our World In Data estimates that 284 million people around the world suffer from anxiety.

So, if mental health issues are so prevalent in society, why don’t we talk about it in the workplace?

There can be a bit of a stigma when it comes to discussing mental health. Some people don’t feel comfortable opening up about their mental health problems, and some people feel that there may be judgement if they do.

And this problem can be all too prevalent in the workplace.

With workplace stresses, harsh deadlines, a bad boss, or unsupportive colleagues; there are many reasons why taking care of your mental health in the workplace can be challenging.

But if you’re looking for ways to take care of your mental health and look after yourself in the workplace, keep reading!

We give 7 ways you can look after your mental health in the workplace.

One of the simplest ways you can protect your mental health is by taking time away from social media.

This can be difficult to do if your job literally involves social media – like if you’re a social media manager. Sometimes, looking at social media can be unavoidable.

But we need to be aware of the effects that social media can have on our mental health and if you’re using social media for work, how to take care of yourself.

According to a survey carried out by Origin, Hill Holiday, 34% of Generation Z surveyed (those born in the mid-1990s to early 2000s) are quitting social media for good.

And 64% of them are taking a break from it.

Why? Because it makes them unhappy.

Social media can have very detrimental impacts on our mental health. Whether it’s reading something sad, getting FOMO from seeing something you want to do, or feeling pressure and insecure to live up to social media’s standards – social media can be a dangerous place.

So how do you begin dealing with your mental health if you’re using social media for work?

Firstly, you need to take time away from it. Giving yourself regular breaks helps you ground yourself in reality and calm your mind.

As well as this, you should start by only following social media accounts that are relevant to work or make you happy.

Unfollowing social media accounts that don’t pertain to work helps streamline your feed and can eliminate anything that has the potential to cause your mental health to dip.

This is something that any seasoned veteran of retail or customer service will tell you: sometimes, customers can be unnecessarily rude.

And you need to be aware that this isn’t your fault, and you shouldn’t take it personally.

This doesn’t stand true if you actually have made a mistake. If you’ve fulfilled a task or project improperly, spoke to a customer rudely, or done something wrong, then you should own up to that.

But, sometimes, things are out of your control. Sometimes things go wrong, and yet you find yourself on the receiving end of abuse from a customer.

So, how do you deal with this?

When taking care of your mental health when it comes to customers, you need to separate yourself from the situation.

A customer or client yelling at you or being rude isn’t a reflection of your job, and it isn’t anything personal.

They would be doing the same to any other person stood where you are.

Separating yourself from the situation and taking a step back can help protect your mental health.

You simply need to remain calm, be polite, and try and resolve the situation.

It can be very easy to let a rude customer ruin your day and impact your mental health. But by separating yourself and taking a step back you can protect your wellbeing.

The importance of mental health in the workplace cannot be overestimated. It helps you feel better, be more productive, and manage your workload better.

So, what’s another way of taking care of your mental health in the workplace?

Boundaries.

That’s right. Setting clear workplace boundaries is a fantastic way to protect your mental health as you’re eliminating the things which can be triggering for you.

One of the most obvious ones is by making sure you don’t do any work outside of your business hours.

This can mean eliminating the occurrence of taking your work home with you and keeping a clear distinction between work time and home time.

And this can be done very easily. You can set up an automatic email response when you get sent an email outside of office hours or on weekends. This is letting them know that you won’t be responding until the next day.

Or, you can set boundaries within the office too.

Perhaps you have a colleague that likes to overshare and talk about inappropriate topics. Maybe it can be distracting and stresses you out. Or perhaps they bring their home life to work and rant a lot about their partner.

In any case, letting them know gently that, whilst you care about them and their life, that you think it’s better if you save the conversation for your breaks is a great way for setting up a boundary.

It means that you can get back to working without distractions; eliminating stress, reducing anxiety, and getting rid of frustration.

When you’re constantly inundated with deadlines, swamped with work, and struggling to keep up, you sometimes forget to celebrate the good stuff.

You can get so used to smashing out work that you forget to take notice of your victories, even the little ones, and don’t end up rewarding yourself.

Work is hard, and you should be kind to yourself.

You need to learn to celebrate your victories and reward yourself when something good happens.

That doesn’t mean treating yourself every time you submit a deadline, that could get very regular.

But it does mean taking time every now and then to recognise when you’ve done something well. Maybe you had a particularly hard project which you finally completed last week, or you just closed a deal with a client that was months in the making.

Celebrating these victories gives you something to look forward to and a nice reward for a job well done.

And, it also helps break up all your tasks.

Rather than constantly plowing through all your work one job after the other, celebrating a job well done helps give you a nice little break.

It gives you some perspective when it comes to your work. And, most importantly, stops you from feeling so stressed without reward or appreciation.

Mental health and the workplace needs to be a symbiotic relationship. You need to be able to fulfill the requirements of your job whilst also taking care of your well-being.

And one of the most important ways to do this is by checking in with your colleagues and being there for each other.

Maybe you’ve noticed that one of your colleagues is coming in late a lot, doesn’t seem to be coping with the stresses of the job, and seems to be struggling with work.

Have you considered reaching out to them, and checking if they’re okay?

They may really appreciate your support. And, even if they decide not to confide in you this time, they know that you’re there for them.

Of course, you need to make sure that this doesn’t violate your own boundaries. If you don’t have the mental capacity to take on someone else’s problems, then don’t. Look after yourself.

But establishing with your colleagues that you’re there for support can really go a long way.

What’s more, this doesn’t even have to be done in the office environment.

If you want to check in with your colleague without explicitly asking them, invite them out for a coffee!

Having some social time outside office hours establishes the shift from colleague to a friend. They may feel more comfortable talking to you in a social context and be more willing to open up.

They may not even need someone to talk about their problems too. Maybe they just need a friend.

On the back of checking in with your colleagues, you yourself also shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.

This can come in many different forms: asking for help from your colleagues, asking your boss, or even talking to HR.

Perhaps you have a pre-established mental health condition, which is being exacerbated by work.

Speaking to your boss, if you feel comfortable, and communicating this to them means they may be more willing to take the pressure off your workload.

Or, maybe you’ve been handed a certain project with a short deadline and you’re struggling to keep up.

Speaking to a colleague and asking for help with them means you can alleviate stress and pressure.

As well as this, if you start to notice your mental health really decline you should reach out to someone higher, possibly.

Speaking to someone in HR is a great way for them to be a mediator in mental health discussions. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to your boss directly, they can do it for you.

This is something that is particularly pertinent to bosses and those in management.

If you’re trying to improve your mental health and workplace relationships, you should start by evaluating your workplace.

Begin by taking a look at your workplace mental health policies. Do you even have them?

What do they say about employees taking time off, or having mental health support systems in place?

Innocent, the company known for its smoothies and cute PR, takes mental health in their industry very seriously.

Not only do they offer a free gym and yoga classes in their office, but they also offer flexible working hours and a 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme.

This allows them to speak to someone at any time, day or night, about things that they may be struggling with.

What’s more, some companies even offer mental health days. This allows their staff to take time off for mental-health-related issues, separate from their normal sick days.

Not only does this give more freedom for staff to look after their mental health, but the openness about simply having mental health days as an option encourages staff to be more open and forthcoming about their mental health.

Hopefully this article will show that there are lots of ways for you to look after your mental health in the workplace.

Whether it’s taking the next step in bravery to open up about your own experiences, reaching out to a colleague, or setting important boundaries, it can be done.

You don’t have to compromise your mental health for work. And your work doesn’t have to falter in place of your mental health.