THE gender pay gap was exposed once again this week.

In seven out of ten firms across the UK the average hourly earnings for men are higher than women.

In some cases the difference is huge.

Some firms are bucking the trend and the pay gap is the other way round in favour of women but they are by far in the minority.

The main reason for the gender pay gap is that there are greater numbers of men in more senior positions than women.

The gap should be closed and for that to happen there needs to be more women promoted to senior roles.

For this to happen there needs to be a rethink of the work life balance.

Family friendly policies and flexible working hours can help women manage jobs with more responsibility.

But they can also help men take on greater share of family commitments.

The excuse that women take career breaks to have children and women taking maternity leave means men get ahead in the workplace is seriously outdated.

The skills and experience women have built up in their job over however many years before they take say a year out to have children doesn’t disappear when they give birth.

If men are favoured over women in this case it is short sighted, unethical and legally suspect.

Implementing more family friendly practices will help men and women and at all levels of an organisation.

The gender pay gap should be closed but focussing too heavily on this particular measurement can mask another pay gap.

Closing the gender pay gap based on average hours is of course welcome but it won’t necessarily help low paid women.

Recent highlighted examples of the gender pay gap include film and TV stars where the female lead is not paid the same as the male lead, the latest being the Crown stars Claire Foy and Matt Smith.

Last year it was the BBC highest paid on screen starts being dominated by men.

Emily Maitlis and Claire Balding and others fought to get the same salary as male co-stars and good luck to them, why shouldn’t they.

However those folk can and will look after themselves many with the help of doggedly determined agents, hungry for commission, to negotiate deals on their behalf.

The pay gap that interests me more is the one between the lowest paid and the highest paid regardless of whether they are male or female.

Closing the gender pay gap at the top won’t necessarily close the gap between rich and poor.

And there are plenty of women on the lowest wages in the most insecure work.

There are more women at the lower end of the pay scale who would benefit from a real living wage than who would benefit from a closing of the gender pay gap based on average earnings per hour.

The National Minimum Wage increased this month but still lags behind the real living wage.

Over 25s will earn at least £7.83 per hour and 21 to 24 years olds £7.38.

the real living wage adopted by many firms in Glasgow is £8.75 per hour.

This has to be set as the minimum for all workers to give people a decent starting point.

With a rise in in work poverty to scandalous levels this needs urgent action.