Online fashion giant Asos has published ethnicity pay gap data for the first time and is thought also to be the first big apparel retailer to do so.
The figures, which are not a legal requirement, were published alongside Asos’ gender pay data as the etailer seeks to enhance transparency and diversity.
The data showed median pay for ethnic minority employees at Asos is 5.9% higher compared to their white counterparts, which is up 21.2% since 2020.
However, there were still big gaps between different ethnic groups. There was a negative median pay gap of 13.4% for Black/Black British employees and 14.1% for mixed/multiple ethnic groups in comparison to their white counterparts.
Asos said: “The single biggest driver of these gaps is the underrepresentation of ethnic minority [staff] at leadership level, alongside unequal representation of different ethnic minority groups across different functions.”
The retailer aims to double ethnic minority leadership within two years, targeting 15% representation across its combined leadership by 2023.
Ethnic minority staff make up 19% of the overall workforce but only 7% of combined leadership roles.
Chief executive Nick Beighton said: “We’re publishing our ethnicity pay gap alongside our gender pay gap because we believe it’s a vital step towards understanding and improving ethnic minority representation within Asos and the wider industry.
”While we have made some significant improvements in some areas over the last 12 months, we know we still have a long way to go. We are using this data to help us lay the foundations of a truly inclusive culture and create a people experience that is like no other.
“It is our belief that our goals and progress should be made public in this way so we can be held accountable. We hope that other businesses commit to doing the same to encourage change across our industry.”
The report showed Asos’ gender pay gap is 32.3%, up from 30.6% in 2020. The retailer said that was partly “a result of women being underrepresented in higher-paid roles in leadership and in technology, combined with a high proportion of women in entry-level roles in customer care and commercial teams”.
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