Entain reports hourly gender pay gap for 2020 below UK average at 7%

The operator launched its diversity and inclusion strategy in 2018, which it said set out a three-year roadmap towards creating a more inclusive business.

The strategy set out initiatives and interventions across four key areas; recruitment, process and policy, people development, and awareness and education.

Figures published show that out of Entain’s 23,987 employees worldwide, in 2020 47% were female, down from 50% in 2019.

For senior managers, the portion of employees who were female was 23%, which was consistent with the percentage in 2019.

At the end of 2020, the operator’s board of directors consisted of 3 female members to 7 male, meaning it was 30% female. This was down marginally from 33% in 2019, when there were 3 female board members to 6 male.

As of 4 March 2021, the board consists of 4 female members to 6 male members, meaning 40% of the board is currently comprised of female members.

The operator said that during 2020, the nomination committee continued to appraise appointments to the board from the perspective of its commitment to diversity.

It said the committee had also reflected on the recommendations of the Parker Review steering committee into the ethnic diversity of UK boards.

As of 31 December 2020, Entain said its board did not have an ethnically diverse composition but that with the appointment of Sandeep Tiku, the company will meet the review’s target of having at least one director from an ethnic minority background by the end of 2021.

With regards to the operator’s gender pay gap reporting, the median hourly pay difference between male and female employees was found to be 7%, up from 4% in 2019, while the mean hourly pay difference was 15%, reduced from 18% in 2019.

Entain said its median hourly pay difference compared favourably to the UK median pay gap of 15.5% across all sectors.

The median bonus pay difference was 13%, a significant reduction from 36% in 2019, while the mean bonus pay difference was 19%, down even further from 83%.

Entain said it is clear that the gender pay gaps reported were largely a function of having fewer women at senior levels.

Kelly Kehn, co-founder of the All-in Diversity Project, of which Entain is a founding member, said: “Entain have demonstrated a commitment and passion to D&I which clearly runs throughout their global business.”

“Their drive to continuously improve is a great example to the whole sector of what is needed to make further progress and help us become a more inclusive industry.”

Entain ranked first on the project’s All-Index list, which it said is the industry benchmark on diversity and inclusion practices.

The operator appointed its first female chief executive, Jette Nygaard-Andersen, in January this year.

Results published earlier this month showed that Entain’s revenue for 2020 was almost exactly on par with 2019, at £3.63bn, as online growth largely cancelled out declines in the operator’s land-based operations.