RTÉ reports median gender pay gap of 13%

Fiachra Gallagher

RTÉ has reported a median gender pay gap of 13.03 per cent among staff.

A report into disparities in pay at RTÉ also found an 11.55 per cent average gap in pay for 2022.

The State broadcaster said the gap was driven by an under-representation of women in senior roles, by overtime and by the impact of more part-time work among women.

Two-thirds of RTÉ's workforce are not eligible for paid overtime, the report said, with the median gender pay gap coming in at 6.79 per cent in this group. Men are more represented in roles where out of hours work and paid overtime tend to occur.

Of 1,871 RTÉ employees, 52 per cent are men. On the executive board, five are men, while the other five are women.

The report was prepared under the requirements of the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021. The report was prepared by consultancy firm Wilis Towers Watson.

There is no equal pay gap in RTÉ — rather, the disparity in pay emerges from the factors such are overtime pay and a lack of women in senior positions.

The RTÉ director-general, Dee Forbes, said there was clearly more to do "to create greater gender representation across roles traditionally associated with males and to ensure equal gender representation at senior levels within the organisation".

"RTÉ's aim is to lower the gender pay gap we currently have, and we will work to address the challenges in rapidly changing our workforce to better reflect gender across all career paths.

"And while it is practical for RTÉ to adopt a multi-year approach to addressing the gender pay gap, the actions which we have outlined in this report highlight the extent to which RTÉ is committed to addressing the issues and delivering change," Ms Forbes added.