Equality outcomes and mainstreaming report 2023

Part 2: The Scottish Government As An Employer

Our ambition is to be a world-leading, diverse and inclusive employer where people can be themselves at work. We are committed to building a workforce of people with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, who are valued for their unique contributions in an environment that is respectful, supportive and free of discrimination, harassment or bullying.

Workforce Composition

The Scottish Government is committed to being a progressive employer and to advancing equality within the workplace and building the most inclusive workplace possible.

The workforce diversity and inclusion statistics provide open access to data that informs our actions.

At the end of December 2022, the diversity of the Scottish Government workforce varied in comparison to Scotland's working-age population:

• Female staff make up 57.3% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 50.8% of Scotland's working age population (16 to 65). Increasing since November 2020.
• The Scottish Government workforce aged between 16 and 29 years old make up 18.2% of the workforce, compared to 26% of Scotland's working-age population (16 to 65); staff aged 60 years old or older make up 6.3% of the workforce, compared to 12% of Scotland's working-age population (16 to 65). Increasing and decreasing respectively since November 2020.
• Disabled staff make up 14.7% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 20.7% of Scotland's working-age population (16 to 64). Increasing since November 2020.
• Ethnic minority staff make up 4.1% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 5.8% of Scotland's working-age population (16 to 64). Increasing since November 2020.
• Staff belonging to a non-Christian religion make up 3.7% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 4.2% of Scotland's working-age population (16 to 64). Increasing since November 2020.
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or any other sexual orientation not including straight/heterosexual staff make up 8.8% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 3.5% of the Scottish working-age population (16 to 64). Increasing since November 2020.

Pay Gap Data

The numbers below represent the average salary for all staff in the SG Main, SG Marine and SCS pay groups.

• The mean pay gap between female and male staff on 31 December 2022 is 3.09%.
• The median pay gap between female and male staff on 31 December 2022 is 6.31%.
• The mean pay gap between part-time female and full-time male staff on 31 December 2022 is 0.37%.
• The median pay gap between part-time female and full-time male staff on 31 December 2022 is 0%.

A full breakdown of workforce composition and pay gap information can be found via The Scottish Government website.

Since publication of the 2021 Mainstreaming Report, the Scottish Government mean gender pay gap has reduced to 3.09% (down from 3.12%). The median gender pay gap has increased which is attributable to the increase in staff numbers during the intervening period. In particular, the increase in the overall proportion of women employed (60% of the increased staff numbers between 2021 and 2023 were female versus 40% male) as well as an increase in the proportion of women employed at lower grades (19% of female staff in 2023 were employed in Band A compared to 18% in 2021).

In order to continue to address and reduce our overall pay gaps and to better understand the causes we will undertake an equal pay audit examining pay gaps by disability, gender, race and age by March 2024. We will act on findings to review and refresh our recruitment and retention policies to address workplace inequalities by end of 2025.

Action Plans

To further advance diversity within our workforce, the Scottish Government currently has three diversity and inclusion employer Action Plans. These are the Recruitment and Retention Action Plan for Disabled People (DRRAP), the Race Recruitment and Retention Action Plan (RRRAP) and the Socio-Economic Diversity Action Plan.

These plans are driving action within Scottish Government corporately, and with teams and individuals. The aim is to increase the representation of under-represented groups across all grades, to foster good relations among our employees, and to support an inclusive workplace environment.

The implementation, progress, and accountability of all three plans is overseen by our governance group. This is made up of senior civil servants, staff diversity network representatives, Union representatives and external stakeholders.

The Recruitment and Retention Action Plan for Disabled People applies the Social Model of Disability which recognises disability as an experience of barriers caused by our buildings, processes, systems, and culture rather than caused by a person's impairment.

It focuses on the delivery of 'game changer' actions advancing disability equality around four key priorities: increasing representation, building an inclusive culture, improving policies and practices, and creating accessible workspaces.

Race Recruitment and Retention Action Plan adopts an anti-racist approach. It recognises there is no such thing as a race-neutral policy and that every corporate policy and decision creates either race equality or inequality in our workplace. The aim is to redistribute power, increase accountability and bring about cultural change.

Socio-Economic Diversity Action Plan. While socio-economic background is not a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010, our data on employee experience, alongside the intersection with protected characteristics, indicate strong reasons for treating it in the same way. The intersection between
socio-economic background and race, disability or gender brings a specific focus on the inequalities faced by protected groups. Colleagues' insights have been used to shape the plan.

Recruitment, Internship Opportunities and Mentoring

With regards recruitment, the Scottish Government updated its recruitment system to enable effective monitoring of the impact of policies on protected characteristics at each stage of the recruitment process. The data produced from this new system allows us to recommend specific, evidence-based interventions in the recruitment process for the first time and to increase the diversity of who we hire. All recruiting managers must now attend new 'inclusive recruitment' training. This embeds awareness of diversity and inclusion across all stages of the recruitment process, from preparing to recruit to on-boarding.

Internship opportunities for disabled people have also seen a radical change. Interns recruited at A3 and A4 level, through Inclusion Scotland, can now be made permanent upon successfully completing their internship. This change should allow even more interns to successfully transition to paid employment with Scottish Government.

2022 also saw the launch of Developing Diverse Leaders leadership programmes for under-represented colleagues within Scottish Government. There are 3 bespoke programmes targeting under-represented colleagues with a total of 73 participants. The programmes include support with personal development, sponsorship, and mentoring.

Scottish Government runs a 'Mutual Mentoring' programme to support mentoring for our Race Equality Network members. Since 2018, 185 mentoring partnerships have supported diverse talent to progress and more inclusive leadership practices to be built across the organisation. The programme was recently extended to disabled colleagues, LGBTI+ colleagues and colleagues who identify as coming from a low socio-economic background.

Staff Policies, Staff Diversity Networks and Learning

There have been a number of developments on the policy front for staff too. The procedure for making a formal complaint about a Minister's, or a former Minster's, behaviour was launched in February 2022. This ensures independent and external scrutiny of any complaint made. A new staff grievance policy was also developed in collaboration with staff diversity networks and trade unions.

Our trans and non-binary equality and inclusion policy reflects our organisation's commitment to supporting trans and non-binary staff and advancing LGBTI+ equality and inclusion in the workplace. It sets out our individual and corporate responsibilities, guidance on applying HR policies in practice and tools and support for trans and non-binary colleagues, their managers and leaders and their allies.

A support framework for staff diversity networks was developed and introduced in June 2022. It recognises the valuable role staff diversity networks play in nurturing talent and raising issues relating to employee experience within the workplace.

There has also been a corporate push to embed equality into the day-to-day work of staff and create a more inclusive culture. Every Scottish Government employee already had a mandatory diversity and inclusion objective but there is now mandatory 'inclusive culture' training.

Staff are also being supported to produce high-quality Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs). Supporting resources were created specifically for HR teams. This included a podcast, a data and evidence bank, EQIA form completion advice and FAQs. There have been significant increases in the completion and reporting of EQIAs with the use of a tracker, which is prioritised for discussion at senior management meetings.

One of the most significant developments in 2022 was the completion of the review of our workplace adjustments service and the subsequent introduction of the Employee Passport. The review was a commitment in the Disability Recruitment and Retention Action Plan. A project team was set up to improve workplace adjustments for new colleagues being recruited into the Scottish Government. The dedicated team now provides a service to both new and existing staff. The aim of the service is early intervention with critical adjustments in place on the first day of work for all our new starts and to provide a single point of contact.

When opening up the service to existing staff, the team developed the Employee Passport. This is now Scottish Government's flagship inclusion initiative. This facilitates a conversation between the passport user and their line manager as well as providing a direct link for support to the new Workplace Adjustments Service team when a more formal workplace adjustment, like equipment or software, is needed.

The Employee Passport was developed as a co-production, with significant engagement with staff diversity networks and a trial with 200 volunteers. 93% of users in the trial said they would recommend it to colleagues. The Employee Passport is being adopted by Scottish Government Agencies. This means the passport will be recognised wherever staff go to work.