Well reported its mean pay gap – the difference in pay between the average male and female UK hourly rate – as 20.49% as of April 2018 in favour of men, in its gender pay gap report published last month (March 21). The mean pay gap in April 2017 was 19.7.

The report also revealed Well’s median gender pay gap – which takes the mid-point when all hourly rates are lined up from biggest to smallest, reducing the impact of one-off outliers – as of April 2018 was 4%. This has increased from 1% in April 2017.

Women made up 75% of the 5,996 full-time employees at the multiple, in April 2018.

The majority of Well employees, around 4,000, work in non-managerial roles in branches, the multiple said. This puts them in the lowest paid group. As 75% of women in the company are in this group, the pay gap is “in line with our expectations”, Well said.

Bonus gap

Well also revealed 6% of its male employees and 6% of its female employees received a bonus in the year up to April 2018. In 2017, 11% of men and 7% of women received a bonus.

Pay gap “mirrors” similar organisations

Well chief executive John Nuttall said the multiple’s gender pay gap continues to “mirror similar pharmacy [and] retail organisations in that we have a disproportionate number of women in our lowest paid roles”.

“We will continue to explore this data further to identify any potential barriers to progression for women into our managerial roles, to allow us to take positive action to break them down,” Mr Nuttall added.

“We have a strong gender balance of men and women at our board and senior leadership levels.”

As an employer with over 250 staff, Well was required by law to publish the report by April 4.

Boots’ gender pay gap report for 2018 revealed that the average male employee also earns 20% more than the average female employee. Lloydspharmacy has not yet published its report for 2018.