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This article uses data from the Labour Force Survey to examine the effect sexual orientation has on wages in Britain. In doing so it provides the first empirical investigation of the effect being in a same-sex legal partnership has on wages. The results show that gay cohabitees and lesbians face a wage premium compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Decomposition results show that for gay cohabitees this arises due to differences in observable characteristics, while lesbians not only earn significantly more due to differences in their observable characteristics, but they also receive a higher return for these characteristics. In contrast, although no significant difference in earnings is observed for men in a legal partnership, decomposition results suggest that legally partnered gay males should earn more due to differences in their observable characteristics, while there is also evidence that they face barriers to advancement to senior positions, or a glass ceiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender equality is a high priority for UK universities with research showing that female academics do not progress at the same rate as their male counterparts. Research has been carried out to analyse data across the academic career pathway, from undergraduate student to professorial level, using Uni A as a case study. This research has taken a deductive approach, testing the Leaky Pipeline Theory in Social Science departments, making use of survey data and using qualitative data to interpret quantitative findings. Results showed that there were four stages in the academic career pathway in which women exit at a greater rate than men. This has been shown not to result from a bias in shortlisting or interview, but due to a lack of female applications for progression compared to male applications. To improve this position, UK universities must facilitate part-time working in senior academic positions, recognise talent and empower women to apply for promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Higgs Review and the Tyson Report have drawn attention to board independence, the lack of female directors and the potential positive contribution of female participation to UK corporate governance. This paper examines the situation of female directors in the top 350 UK quoted companies in the context of recent debates about occupational gender differences and corporate governance. In particular, female non-executive directors account for just over 6 per cent of the non-executive directors and receive about two-thirds the remuneration of their male counterparts. Although female participation increases with firm size, the gender wage gap widens. More importantly, it was found that female non-executive directors are at a disadvantage in gaining promotions to positions such as chair of important board sub-committees (ie, the audit committee, the nomination committee and the remuneration committee) and as chairman of the board itself. Given that, in most companies, non-executive remuneration is related to the holding of such posts, this appears to be an important factor in explaining differences in non-executive remuneration. Exclusion of females from these powerful positions also suggests that women face a 'second glass ceiling' even after reaching board level. However, the latest version of the Combined Code on Corporate Governance now provides a valuable opportunity for UK company boards to address the issue of gender imbalance and independence on boards of directors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]