Gender pay at Nestlé
Read our gender pay report 2024 for Nestlé UK and Ireland
What is gender pay reporting?
The gender pay gap is a comparison of the average earnings for men and women regardless of the work they do. In both the UK and Ireland, there is a legal requirement for organisations with more than 250 employees to publish data on their gender pay gap.
In Ireland we are not legally required to publish our figures as our employee numbers are below the threshold, however, we are doing this voluntarily using the methodology stipulated by the Irish government.
The calculations for Ireland are slightly different to those required in the UK.
What is the difference between equal pay and the gender pay gap?
Gender pay reporting is the difference between the average earnings for all men and the average earnings for all women in an organisation*. It's not the same as equal pay which considers whether men and women are paid equally for equal work.
A gender pay gap can show that men or women are disproportionately in certain roles e.g., if men are disproportionately in senior roles there might be a gender pay gap in favour of men.
* You’ll see we look at a range of earnings figures.
*This is not representative of our data but a visual example.
I wholeheartedly believe in fostering a culture at Nestlé UK and Ireland that has diversity, equity, and inclusion at the heart of it. Personally, it's a commitment driven by caring for our people and our shared values. Gender equity is not only essential for embracing a variety of styles, perspectives, and experiences within our organisation, but it makes Nestlé UK & Ireland a better and nicer place to work. Our senior leadership team and I are dedicated to achieving gender balance, and we have set ambitious goals to make it happen. Above all, we strive for every individual to feel genuinely valued and empowered to thrive. It's about creating an inclusive environment that unlocks the incredible positive impact it has on our people, our business, our culture, and the communities we serve."
Why does it matter?
Gender pay reporting can highlight where there are differences in representation in organisations. For instance, if an organisation has more men than women in well-paid senior roles and more women than men in less well-paid junior roles, then the average pay for men will be higher than for women and there will be a gender pay gap in favour of men.
Our organisation is complex and so is our data. However, our approach is simple. We embrace difference and champion inclusion which is why gender representation across our business is an important area of focus. Improving gender balance is an important part of our ongoing commitment to foster a culture where everyone thrives.
Our organisation
We have a variety of sites across the UK, including factories and warehouses, offices, Nespresso boutiques and a product technology centre. In Ireland, we have a head office and Nespresso boutiques.
Across our business, we have some high-level patterns in representation. In the UK and in Ireland, we have a slightly higher proportion of women than men in our offices, around 60%. We have a similar picture in our Nespresso boutiques. Across our factory sites we have a high proportion of men, more than 80%. At our most senior level, men still make up more than 60% of the represented group and so we know that we need to continue to focus on these areas although change takes time here and in the factory sites.
2024 data
When we refer to Nestlé in the UK, this includes our seven main Nestlé legal entities in the UK: Nestlé UK Ltd (our Nescafé, Nestlé Confectionery, Nestlé Food, Nestlé Nutrition & Dairy, Nestlé Health Science and Nestlé Professional businesses, as well as factories and corporate functions such as Group HR). It also includes two Nestlé Purina legal entities which cover Nestlé Purina manufacturing and commercial operations, Nespresso, Cereal Partners, Nestlé Waters and Nestec York Ltd, which houses our Research and Development centre. Nestlé in Ireland includes Nestlé Ireland and individuals in Ireland employed by Nespresso.
All these businesses share a common approach to pay and bonuses although there are some different schemes in place reflecting where individuals work. They are all managed through the same payroll service. The 2024 report covers 7,154 people across a range of offices, factories, coffee boutiques and our product technology centre in the UK; and 122 people in the head office and coffee boutiques in Ireland.
* We are not able to provide figures for this gender pay comparison as we have no men working part time or on temporary contracts.
** We are not able to provide figures for this gender pay comparison as we have no individuals working on temporary contracts.
Data
We have to report on mean and median data. Mean data is calculated by adding up all the numbers in a sample and dividing by the number in that sample.
Median data is calculated by arranging the numbers in order from the lowest paid to the highest paid, and the middle number is the median.
In our report, the calculations of mean and median gender pay gap and bonus pay gap are calculated by taking the figure for women away from the figure for men and dividing by the figure for men.
To calculate pay quartiles or quarters we put the pay of all individuals in descending order and then split them into four equally sized groups. We then report on the percentage of men and women in each group.
In my first few months at Nestlé, I have met knowledgeable, talented and passionate people in all areas of our business. It is clear to me that this is a business committed to creating an environment where people can thrive and develop their careers. Having said that, there is still work to be done to ensure we have a balance of genders in all our environments and this will continue to be an important priority."
About our data
While the data for each legal entity may look different, the challenges which sit behind this data are the same. We still have higher proportions of men in our manufacturing and supply sites as well as in our most senior roles and this imbalance drives our figures.
This is amplified in our bonus data as the bonus data relates to an annual figure.
We’ve been working to change this for some time and we’re not managing to drive change as quickly as we’d like in all areas. This is why our key areas of focus remain to increase representation across manufacturing and supply; increase representation in our most senior roles and ensure every facet of our employee experience fosters an inclusive culture.
We’ve outlined below the actions we continue to take. We continue to monitor progress and actions, making adjustments and improvements.
While we acknowledge the progress made, we are far from where we need to be in achieving gender equality. Our data highlights areas that require further focus, and we are committed to working with our leaders to improve this. Our gender pay report allows us to share more about our unwavering commitment to gender equality in all aspects of our organisation. We recognise that for true gender we must have equal opportunities for advancement, representation at all levels, and a workplace culture that fosters inclusivity and empowers individuals of all genders to thrive and succeed. Though it will take time, I am hopeful that we will witness improvements year on year."
Our Approach
While we acknowledge that there is still progress to be made in achieving gender equality within our organisation, our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace remains steadfast. We are dedicated to ensuring that people of all genders have equal opportunities for growth and advancement.
Our ambition to reflect society within our organisation is unwavering. We continue to strive for balanced gender representation across all levels of our business. While we have made progress in various areas within our teams, we recognise there is still work to be done to achieve true parity, particularly in our manufacturing environments and at senior levels. However, this only fuels our determination to continue our efforts, as respect for diversity is deeply ingrained in our values.
Our leaders are held accountable for driving inclusion and equity within our organisation. We consistently review and challenge our plans to ensure that we are on track to meet our goals of representation and create an environment where everyone can thrive.
Attracting talented individuals of all genders to join and progress their careers at Nestlé is of utmost importance to us. We have implemented changes to our recruitment methods that have shown positive results in terms of attracting a diverse pool of candidates throughout the year. Our Nestlé Academy team has also been successful in recruiting increasingly diverse groups of young people, ensuring a balanced pipeline of future leaders. Additionally, our commitment to lifelong learning has resulted in a greater number of colleagues retraining and upskilling, supported by a range of development opportunities.
While our focus is on reflecting the diversity of society, it is equally important to us that all colleagues feel included and can authentically be their best selves at work. Our colleague networks provide support and connection for individuals of all genders and identities, while also championing change and holding us accountable when progress stalls. The Gender Equity Network in particular are tackling topics that address the needs of each genders, driving home the message to the whole organisation that gender equity benefits all.
We understand that our efforts for gender balance must extend beyond our organisation. As part of our commitment, we actively support initiatives such as the Nestlé First Milk Women in Agriculture Group, the National Women in Agriculture Awards in 2024 and are members of the Women in Engineering Society. These initiatives aim to empower women in the agricultural and engineering industry, fostering connections, sharing ideas, and recognising the valuable contributions of females in traditionally male dominated industries in the UK. Additionally, we are actively working on our supplier diversity program, ensuring that women-owned businesses are included in our supplier list through rigorous procurement processes.
Declaration of accuracy: I confirm that this statement is true to the best of my knowledge and belief."
