Sex & gender
Data on the sex of employees within the Scottish Government is complete, as this is gathered during the recruitment process once an offer has been accepted. Declaration rates for sex in our recruitment systems and gender in People Survey are 99.2% and 94% respectively.
Workforce composition
Headcounts
- Female staff make up 56.2% of the workforce, compared to 50.8% of the Scottish working-age population (16 to 65).
The chart below shows the breakdown of the SG Core workforce by sex and either pay band or working pattern (i.e. full-time or part-time). Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of the Scottish working age population by sex is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 2a: Pay band or working pattern by sex - Dec 2021
Bar chart of staff headcounts by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Part-time staff make up 15.5% of all permanent staff.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 2a: Pay band or working pattern by sex - Dec 2021
Recruitment
51% of applications come from female applicants rising to 59% of offers accepted.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of the sex of applications to work for the Scottish Government at each stage of the recruitment process. Applicants applying to multiple jobs are included for each application they make. The percentage breakdown of the Scottish working age population by sex is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 2b: Recruitment stage reached by sex in 2021
Bar chart of applicant headcounts by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
The stages of the recruitment process are explained later in this report
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 2b: Recruitment stage reached by sex in 2021
Turnover
61.1% of joiners and 55.8% of leavers are female.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the SG Core workforce, the staff that joined in 2021 and the staff that left in 2021 by sex. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of the Scottish working age population by sex is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 2c: Joiners and leavers breakdown by sex in 2021
Bar chart of staff joiners and leavers by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
The chart above does not include any movement to or from any other Scottish Government organisations.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 2c: Joiners and leavers breakdown by sex in 2021
Staff experiences
Absences
7 working days are lost on average to sickness or absences for female staff.
5.9 working days are lost on average to sickness or absences for male staff.
AWDL is a measure of levels of absence that allows for comparison between different groups. A higher AWDL figure indicates a higher rate of days absent among that group, relative to the number of staff in that group and their working pattern.
Figure 2d: Average working days lost by sex in 2021
Bar chart of average working days lost by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2d: Average working days lost by sex in 2021
Performance
66.5% of female staff achieved a marking of “Highly effective” or “Exceptional” in 2021.
60.9% of male staff achieved a marking of “Highly effective” or “Exceptional” in 2021.
Performance is assessed annually in April. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 2e: Performance marking breakdown by sex - 2020-21
Bar chart of performance marking awarded by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2e: Performance marking breakdown by sex - 2020-21
Substantive promotions
19.2% of female staff were promoted in 2021.
15.4% of male staff were promoted in 2021.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of staff getting a promotion in 2021 by sex. The percentages below are not the success rates of staff that apply for promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 2f: Promotions breakdown by sex in 2021
Bar chart of proportion of staff promoted in the past year by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
The “not promoted” group includes the following groups of staff:
- Staff that were unsuccessful in their application for a promotion in 2021.
- Staff who did not apply for a promotion in 2021.
- Staff that achieved a promotion in 2021 but didn’t start their new position until 2022.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2f: Promotions breakdown by sex in 2021
Temporary promotions
10.1% of female staff are on a temporary promotion.
9.7% of male staff are on a temporary promotion.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff on a temporary promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 2g: Breakdown by sex and temporary promotion status - Dec 2021
Bar chart of proportion of staff on a temporary promotion by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2g: Breakdown by sex and temporary promotion status - Dec 2021
Pay gap
The numbers below represent the average salary for all staff in the SG Main pay group, which covers a different set of staff than the other figures in this publication.
The mean pay gap between female and male staff on 31 December 2021 is 2.64%.
The median pay gap between female and male staff on 31 December 2021 is 0%.
A positive pay gap indicates where male staff have a pay lead.
The mean pay gap between part-time female and full-time male staff on 31 December 2021 is -0.1%.
The median pay gap between part-time female and full-time male staff on 31 December 2021 is 0%.
A positive pay gap indicates where full-time male staff have a pay lead.
The chart below shows the mean and median pay for staff as at 31 December 2021 by sex. The numbers below exclude staff that have not made a declaration in eHR.
Figure 2h: Average pay breakdown by sex as at 31 December 2021
Bar chart of mean and median pay by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2h: Average pay breakdown by sex as at 31 December 2021
Workforce culture
The data below come from the annual Civil Service People Survey and highlight the experiences of staff working in SG Core. The scores below are the percentage of positive responses by respondents indicating they belong to a particular demographic group. Respondents who didn’t answer the question on sex have been removed from these charts and tables, although they are included in the calculation of the total figure.
Some of the percentages in the charts below are followed by arrows indicating the level of statistical significance. These boxes are also colour-coded in various shades of green and red to indicate whether the difference is desirable or not respectively.
Engagement
70.1% of female staff report feeling engaged, compared to 68.2% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff who feel engaged with their work in 2021.
Figure 2i: Employee engagement score by sex in 2021
Bar chart of employee engagement score by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2i: Employee engagement score by sex in 2021
Inclusion & fair treatment
87.7% of female staff report feeling included and treated fairly, compared to 87.5% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff feeling included and that they are treated fairly in 2021.
Figure 2j: Inclusion & fair treatment score by sex in 2021
Bar chart of inclusion and fair treatment score by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2j: Inclusion & fair treatment score by sex in 2021
Bullying & harassment
7.4% of female staff report experiencing bullying and/or harassment, compared to 5.8% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff having experienced bullying and/or harassment at work in 2021. Lower percentages are preferred.
Figure 2k: Bullying & harassment score by sex in 2021
Bar chart of proportion of staff experiencing bullying or harassment by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 2k: Bullying & harassment score by sex in 2021
Discrimination
6.3% of female staff report experiencing discrimination, compared to 4.6% of male staff.
The chart below shows the percentage of staff having experienced discrimination at work in 2021. Lower percentages are preferred.
Figure 2l: Discrimination score by sex in 2021
Bar chart of proportion of staff experiencing discrimination by sex. The data in the chart is replicated in the table below.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].