With the gender pay gap disproportionately impacting the UK’s managers, directors and senior officials, the CMI and GEO are today releasing new guidance to showcase how flexible working can help to close the gender pay gap.

CMI research has shown that well-designed flexible working can help tackle the GPG. It allows women to reconcile work and caring responsibilities, and stay in roles that reflect their skills and experience. Crucially, offering flexible working at a senior level allows talented women who are not available to work what may be considered a standard, full-time week, to progress in senior management and leadership roles. This is key to closing the GPG.

This is why CMI and the Government Equalities Office are today publishing joint guidance for managers and senior leaders on how to implement flexible working in the workplace.

Minister for Women, Victoria Atkins, said: “Flexible working is not only good for employees but it is also proven to be good for business, increasing productivity and helping improve staff engagement. The CMI are making it even easier to implement flexible working policies in the workplace with this easy to use guidance, I hope businesses will take advantage of it, embracing the obvious benefits in the process.”

Ann Francke, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute said: “The latest data on the gender pay gap for UK managers shows the problem is getting worse, as the gap between men’s and women’s pay has widened. This is atrocious and needs to be a wake up call to companies to act now. One action that can make a real difference is a well-designed flexible working policy. Women’s representation within organisations falls off the higher you go.

Ann added: “At CMI, we call this the glass pyramid. Changing workplace cultures and boosting flexible working practices are key to helping women climb the glass pyramid and progress into senior roles.” Our guidance on flexible working is designed to help make flexible-working the norm, and to equip managers and leaders with the information they need to make flexible working really work.”

The guidance can be downloaded here