There is more work to be done.

But Lidl Ireland is shining a spotlight on its remaining gender pay gap as part of a drive to close it for good.

The retailer has announced a 6.2% mean gender pay gap (the difference between the average hourly pay rate of male and female full-pay relevant employees) for 2021, declining 30% from 8.8% in 2020.

It’s still an issue of course, but it’s substantially lower than the 11.3% average pay gap in Ireland.

The organisation, which has a gender-neutral pay policy, meaning men and women are paid the same rate at the same levels in hourly and salaried roles, also announced a zero (0%) median pay gap.

Lidl Ireland is also taking further steps to eliminate the mean gender pay gap across its 5,000 plus workforce in the Republic of Ireland ahead of a legal requirement in Ireland for companies with over 250 employees to report on their gender pay gap.

More males placed in higher-paid roles

“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,” said Maeve McCleane, Chief People Officer & Board Executive at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland.

“We have been laying the foundation to lower our mean gender pay gap and have launched several colleague initiatives to reduce obstacles and provide stepping stones 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, a 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,” added McCleane.