WOMEN are still doing most of the lower-paid jobs in Dorset organisations which have published figures on their gender pay gaps.

Employers with 250 or more staff have until April to publish details of the gap in average pay between men and women.

Insurer LV= has reported a mean – or average – wage 27.6 per cent lower for women than men.

The median wage – the mid-point in the range – was 23.5 per cent lower for women.

Human resources director Natalie Rogers said: “The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between males’ and females’ average earnings. This is not the same as equal pay, which broadly means that males and females in the same employment performing equal work must receive equal pay. We are confident that we provide equal pay at LV=.”

The mean pay gap was lower than the average for the financial services industry, but higher than the average for all industries.

The society said the gap reflected the “structure of our workforce”, with fewer women in senior leadership roles. It has signed up to measures including the Women in Finance Charter.

Ocean Learning Trust, which runs five primary and schools locally, reported a mean rate for women 35.9 per cent lower than men, and a median 55 per cent lower.

A statement by interim finance director Glyn Marsh said: “The majority of roles in the trust are part-time, either aligning closely with the hours of attendance of pupils or for part of that time.”

He added: “Whilst this will impact on the average salaries, it is a factor that influences the decision of applicants and the continuation of employment from staff.”

Prama, the Poole-based Christian care charity, reported women’s median pay 0.7 per cent higher than men, with the mean figure 13.8 per cent below men.

The charity, whose workforce is only 8.5 per cent male, said: “Prama is delighted to achieve figures significantly better than the national average. In practice the average of female staff rates is actually slightly higher than the male average.

“This is due to there being more women filling middle management, training and administration roles.”

Kondor, the Christchurch firm distributing consumer electronics products, also had higher median pay for women, at 0.7 per cent above men. Its mean rate was 12.6 per cent lower for women.

At Canford School, mean pay for women was 16.2 per cent lower and the median 14.6 per cent lower.

Broadstone firm Gainpeak, which carries out professional, scientific and technical activities, was one of only a few nationwide to say pay was exactly equal by both measures, and that its workforce was exactly 50 per cent female.

As previously reported, women at Borough of Poole earned a mean rate 1.1 per cent lower than men and a median rate 3.2 per cent higher.