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New research has revealed a polarising gap across the gender perception divide in the accounting profession with almost half of male accountants believing there is no gender pay gap.
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Near 1 in 2 male accountants believe there is no gender pay gap
13 December 2021
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Intuit QuickBooks and Momentum Intelligence have recently conducted research into gender equity in the accounting industry, with results uncovering that the gender equality and pay parity for many female accountants stagnate over time, widening the pay gap.
Key research findings found almost one in two (43 per cent) men disagree with the statement that there is a gender pay gap in the accounting profession.
There is also a significant gap in perceptions between men and women on this statement with four in five women believing that a gender pay gap exists compared to almost 1.5 in five men.
“The research clearly demonstrates a disconnect between male and female perceptions of the gender pay gap and opportunities for female advisors to advance their careers. This is something that must be addressed,” Shaye Thyer, head of accounting at Intuit said.
“Now is the time for firms to act upon the enormous opportunities presented by supporting women and other groups in the workplace. My hope is that leaders in the industry will take the findings of this report to heart and take real action – and make real changes – to ensure equal pay and access to leadership for all, for the betterment of our industry as a whole.”
The research found that within the accounting profession, not only is there disagreement between genders on the existence of a pay gap, but also a discrepancy in gender confidence towards negotiating salaries, as well as gender bias when aiming for leadership positions.
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One in three women indicated they are uncomfortable negotiating with their employer, compared to one in six men.
Further, only one in five respondents indicated their firms conduct analyses to review their remuneration between male and female employees.
The research also uncovered that 53 per cent of women believe their progression towards leadership has been impacted by some form of gender bias, while 80 per cent of men said they had not experienced any form of gender bias in their progression to leadership.
Sixty-eight per cent of surveyed women also believe there are barriers for women to advance to leadership; by contrast, 32 per cent of men agree with that statement, and 49 per cent of men actively disagree.
“While it may reveal uncomfortable numbers, it is crucial that accounting firms undertake a gender pay audit,” Joe Consedine, general manager, member engagement at Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand said.
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant. To support our members to tackle this issue head on, we are committed to tracking and reporting on the gender pay gap every year and are providing a range of practical resources and tools including a dedicated playbook.”
These findings and more have been detailed in Intuit Quickbooks white paper: Gender equity in accounting: addressing the career cliff.
Intuit QuickBooks has also recently partnered with Accountants Daily for a webcast that unpacked the recent research, from addressing the challenges women in accounting face, tackling the big issues from gender pay gap, along with the need for flexible work, technology and support from government and professional bodies.
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