Careers

• Training - We want you to be able to do your job with confidence so all technical and statutory training is funded by the company.
• Flexible working - Right from day one you'll qualify for flexible working, helping to fit work around other important areas of your life.
• Accommodation - If you live on the Island but need a place to stay before your next shift in Southampton you'll be able to apply for free overnight accommodation.
• Free Work Car Parking - Although we’re based in the centre of Southampton, parking is available for employees during their shifts at no cost.
• Free Uniform - We don’t expect you to foot the bill for your uniform, so you will be provided with all you need on your first day.
• Recognition Awards - WE are keen to reward you for going 'over and above' (First-Class customer Service Scheme); your loyalty to Red Funnel (Long Service Awards); referring family members or friends for jobs at Red Funnel (Refer a Friend Scheme) plus many more.  

• Free and Subsidised Travel to the Isle of Wight - With unlimited foot passenger travel to and from the Island for you and family members traveling with you, you can visit the Isle of Wight again and again. You also have the opportunity to take your car over for a set amount of free journeys.
• 75% South Western Railway discount - Whether you’re traveling to work or taking your family out for the day, this benefit will provide a great discount on train travel.
• 50% Vectis Bus Service discount (Isle of Wight) - You will receive half price discount with the Isle of Wight bus services, helping you get around the Island as a resident or visitor.

• BUPA Private Medical Insurance - It’s important to us that our colleagues feel healthy and happy at work. With Private Medical Insurance available, including a 24-hour helpline and access to BUPA’s medical advice website, you can have peace of mind when it comes to your wellbeing.
• Mental Health First Aiders - We have trained Mental Health First Aiders located on both the Island and mainland who are happy to chat over a coffee or signpost you to the right place.
• Validium Employee Assistance Service - With our Employee Assistance Scheme, confidential support is always available, 24 hours a day. This could range from advice about legal or debt related queries, to support from qualified nurses regarding medical concerns.
• Free Flu Vaccinnation Vouchers - No one wants to be under the weather, and we want to help keep you on your feet during the virus season.
• Cycle to Work Scheme - Ferries aren’t the only mode of transport we invest in! Living in one of the sunniest places in the UK, we promote our co-workers getting out and about on their bikes as often as they can.
• Menopause Support - We have published a Menopause Policy highlighting the support available to those suffering with menopause or perimenopausal symptoms at work. We also have Menopause Champions based on both the Island and the mainland. 

• Perkz - With discounts on a whole range of products and services, you’ll be saving money on everything from your weekly food shop and DIY to trips away and fantastic experience days.
• Enhanced Company Maternity/Paternity Pay- We appreciate that you have enough going on in your first year with your new baby, so don’t let your wages be a cause for concern as we have our own company maternity/paternity schemes available.
• Discounted Access to Attractions on the Isle of Wight- Now you have free and subsidised travel to the Isle of Wight, you can use this on a range of discounted activities, restaurants and hotels.

• Pension Plan - Scottish Widows/Smart pensions- Making sure we provide you with support for your future, as well as your present.
• Company Bonus Scheme - We want to make sure you’re always rewarded for the hard work you put in. All our staff who meet the minimum service criteria are recognised through our Company Bonus Scheme.
• 50% Food and Drink discount at Red Funnel Outlets - Keep fed and watered with discounts on a range of our products (excluding alcohol and confectionary).
• Canada Life Insurance - This is a benefit we hope you never have to use, but this way you have peace of mind that there’s always something in the background to help out in the worst of times.
• Company Sick Pay - The last thing you need to worry about when you're unwell is money, so we offer enhanced company sick pay.

The Red Funnel Staff Pension Scheme (the ‘Scheme’) is a registered occupation pension scheme for Red Funnel staff prior to 1 March 2003.  Such schemes are required to prepare a Statement of Investment Principles (’SIP’), which sets out how the Scheme’s assets are invested, how the investments are structured to fit with the Scheme’s long-term goals, how investment risks are managed, and so on.  Such schemes are also required to publish their SIPs online, and a copy of the Scheme’s current SIP is available to read here along with the 'Implementation Statement' here.

Please find the privacy policy for this pension scheme here.

Please note that some of these benefits attract an eligibility criteria. 

Red Funnel’s Gender Pay Gap Mission Statement

Red Funnel remains firmly committed to narrowing its Gender Pay Gap (GPG), with the long term ambition of eliminating it altogether. We recognise that the marine sector continues to face historic gender imbalances, but we are steadily shifting that picture. Since first reporting in 2017, our mean (average) gender pay gap has reduced by 13.75%, reflecting the positive impact of our continued focus on fairness, representation, and meaningful change. This ongoing progress demonstrates the effectiveness of our equality initiatives and our determination to keep improving year after year.

What is the Gender Pay Gap?

UK organisations with 250 or more employees are legally required to publish data on their gender pay gap each year. The gender pay gap measures the difference between the average hourly earnings of men and women, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. This reporting plays an important role at both national and organisational levels, helping to highlight trends, inform policy, and guide improvements in workplace equality

By reviewing any pay imbalances within our own workforce, we can use these insights to shape actions that drive positive change. This approach supports our commitment to fairness and aligns with wider efforts across the UK to address longstanding pay disparities present in many industries.

To calculate the GPG, we analyse all employees’ hourly pay on a set snapshot date. These figures are then divided into four pay quartiles, giving us a clear picture of the distribution of men and women across different levels of the organisation. We also assess bonus pay, comparing average bonus amounts and the proportion of men and women receiving them.

It’s important to note that these figures do not reflect pay rates for specific jobs or how roles are graded. Instead, they highlight patterns in representation (particularly the levels at which women and men are most commonly employed) providing valuable insight into the structure of our workforce.

What are our figures? 

Red Funnel Group’s gender pay gap and gender bonus gap figures relating to the snapshot date of 5th April 2025 are as follows:

• Our mean gender pay gap is 20.95% (2024 18.7%)
• Our median gender pay gap is 21.73% (2024 19.2%)
• Our mean gender bonus gap is 20.97% (2024 -13.69%)
• Our median gender bonus gap is -£100% (2024 0%)
• The proportion of male employees receiving a bonus is 90.29% (2024 19.63%) and the proportion of female employees receiving a bonus is 81.86% (2024 31.22%)
   

Please find below the Red Funnel Group pay quartile percentages (number of employees in each): 
 

Please find below the Red Funnel Group pay Female/Male quartile distribution since the start of the GPG reporting in 2017:

The figures set out above have been calculated using the standard methodologies used in the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

What Our Figures Show

Gender Pay Gap

The gap has generally narrowed over time, however, changes in the distribution of senior and higher paid roles during the reporting period led to a temporary increase of 2.25% in 2025 (from 18.7% to 20.95%). These shifts - driven by normal fluctuations in turnover, recruitment and progression - slightly increased the proportion of men in higher earning positions, influencing the overall figure.

Overall, Red Funnel has reduced its mean gender pay gap by 13.75% since first reporting in 2017 (when it was 34.7%), demonstrating continued progress and commitment to narrowing the gap over the long term.

 ‘Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2025’ national statistics by the Department for Transport, compiled from certification data held by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and data collected via the UK Chamber Shipping Seafarer Employment Survey states the following:

• 20% of UK seafarers active at sea in 2025 were female (an increase from 16% in 2024)
• 5% of Certificated Officers were female (a decrease from 6% in 2024).

Red Funnel is proud to highlight its latest gender representation figures, which stand out positively within a sector that has long been predominantly male:

• 24.23% of seafarers active at sea in 2025 were female (a decrease of 2.75% from 26.98% in 2024)
• 4.59% of Certificated Officers were female (a slight decrease from 5.06% in 2024, 0.41% lower than the Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2025 statistics)

While UK Chamber of Shipping data reflects only those member companies who submit returns, global estimates from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) indicate that women make up just 1% of the global seafaring workforce, highlighting the significance of Red Funnel’s comparatively high representation of women at sea.

At the snapshot date of 5 April 2025, 66.7% of the permanent Senior Leadership Team (SLT) at Red Funnel were female, including the CEO (this reduces to 50% when including the additional SLT member acting in a consultant capacity) and represents a slight decrease from 75% in 2024. 

Across the 11 Heads of Department, 45.5% were female (or 41.7% when including one additional Head of Department acting in a consultant capacity), reflecting an increase of 20.5% since April 2024.

The pay quartiles divide our workforce into four equal groups based on hourly pay, with Band A representing the lowest 25% of earners and Band D the highest. A balanced gender pay gap would require similar proportions of men and women in each quartile. Where a higher concentration of men appears in Band D (or more women appear in Band A) a gender pay gap is likely to emerge, as these patterns reflect the distribution of roles and seniority across the organisation.

Since reporting began in 2017, the proportion of females in Band D (the upper quartile) has increased by a total of 2.9%, including a year on year rise from 16.3% in 2024 to 17.6% in 2025. The gender distribution in Band A (lower quartile) and Band B (lower middle quartile) is broadly balanced in 2025, with Band A comprising 51.1% males and 48.9% females, and Band B comprising 48.9% males and 51.1% females. It is also notable that representation of women in Band C (employees whose standard hourly rate places them above the median but at or below the upper quartile) increased by 6.2%, rising from 27.4% in 2024 to 33.6% in 2025.

Gender Bonus Gap

Red Funnel’s gender bonus data covers a range of schemes, including the Annual Bonus, Long Service, Refer a Friend, Exam Awards and First-Class Service programmes, alongside department specific incentive schemes such as those in Sales. In this snapshot period, 81.86% of female employees received a bonus compared with 90.29% of male employees. The median gender bonus gap stands at -100%, indicating that the midpoint bonus received by women is higher than that received by men. However, the mean gender bonus gap has shifted to 20.97% (from -13.69% in 2024), showing that, on average, men received larger bonus payments than women. A closer look at the distribution of bonus values helps explain this contrast: while women typically received steady, mid range bonuses across multiple schemes (contributing to the higher median) a small number of higher value awards allocated to male employees, often linked to incentive driven roles or performance based arrangements, have influenced the overall mean. This mixed pattern reflects both differing scheme participation and the impact of outliers* within the bonus data.

Red Funnel is dedicated to fostering a workplace where everyone is treated fairly, respectfully, and without discrimination. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all colleagues, irrespective of sex, race, religion or belief, age, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, or disability. Our pay practices reflect this commitment: individuals performing the same or equivalent work are paid equitably, with decisions based solely on role requirements and performance and never on personal characteristics.

*Outliers are individual values that fall outside of the overall pattern of a dataset – Red Funnel has outliers at both the very lowest and very highest of pay, which can skew overall results or highlight pay disparities. (source: Brightmine 16/02/2026)

What are we doing to address our pay gap?

Our gender pay gap continues to be shaped by the long standing gender imbalance within the maritime sector, a challenge faced across the wider industry. However, Red Funnel remains committed to changing this landscape. We are actively working to support equality for women at every stage of their careers - from encouraging more women to enter maritime roles, to strengthening development opportunities for those already within our organisation, both onboard and ashore. Our aim is not only to attract women into the business, but to create an environment where they are supported to grow, progress, and stay.

To turn this commitment into meaningful progress, we continue to strengthen and broaden our programme of initiatives. This includes building on successful measures already in place, as well as introducing new actions designed to further accelerate positive change. These initiatives include:

• Menopause Policy: 
  Red Funnel’s Menopause Policy outlines the rights of colleagues experiencing menopausal symptoms, directing them to the support available and raising awareness across the organisation. In addition, Red Funnel has five Menopause Champions, based across both the Isle of Wight and the mainland, who are open to sharing their own experiences to help support others. The organisation actively promotes menopause awareness and encourages open, stigma free conversations, ensuring colleagues feel comfortable raising concerns or discussing the impact of menopausal symptoms at work.
• Talent Attraction:
  Red Funnel partners with hiring managers to design roles that meet both current and future organisational needs, while promoting fair and transparent recruitment practices. Our careers website showcases what life is like for colleagues at Red Funnel, helping potential applicants understand our culture, roles and development opportunities. We are open about our interview approach, sharing information on our competency based process so candidates can feel prepared and supported. In addition, we work closely with schools and education partners across the Solent to raise awareness of maritime careers and widen access to local job opportunities.
• Talent Development:
  Red Funnel encourages colleagues to maintain career development plans and discuss aspirations openly to support progression across the organisation. Using insights from Performance Development Reviews and succession planning, we identify talent pools and highlight opportunities for colleagues to grow and advance. We provide clear, supportive development pathways, which have enabled many colleagues to progress from entry level positions into senior roles - demonstrating strong internal mobility and long term career progression at Red Funnel.
• Employee Relations Workshops:
  Workshops are regularly delivered for Line Managers on topics such as Inclusive Recruitment, Managing Absence, and Effective Employee Relations with some sessions run in partnership with our employment lawyers, helping to reinforce Red Funnel’s zero tolerance approach to discrimination and ensuring this message is consistently embedded throughout. In addition, managers have access to a comprehensive Manager’s Toolkit on our intranet, providing practical guidance and resources to support confident, fair and consistent people management.
• Job Share Opportunities
  Red Funnel actively supports colleagues who wish to explore job share arrangements through the Flexible Working Request process. The number of requests for job sharing continues to grow, and several successful arrangements are already in place across the organisation. By facilitating shared roles and alternative working patterns, we help colleagues balance personal responsibilities while remaining in meaningful employment, supporting greater participation and retention.
• Hybrid and Flexible Working
  Red Funnel is committed to supporting colleagues in balancing their work and home lives. Alongside our Flexible Working Request policy, our hybrid working model has been formalised as a contractual arrangement for roles where this approach is appropriate and operationally feasible. Hybrid working offers greater flexibility in how weekly hours may be structured, helping colleagues manage childcare and other personal commitments while maintaining the high standards of service across the organisation.
• Anti-harassment & Anti-bullying and Equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI) Policies: 
  Red Funnel is committed to maintaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, and our Anti harassment & Anti bullying and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Policies play an important role in supporting this culture. These policies set clear expectations around respectful behaviour and outline the organisation’s approach to preventing bullying, harassment and discrimination. They also reflect the requirements of the Worker Protection (Amendment of the Equality Act 2020) Act 2023, which places greater responsibility on employers to take proactive steps to prevent inappropriate conduct, including that of third parties. To support colleague awareness and reinforce expectations of safe and respectful behaviour, Red Funnel provides a mandatory learning module on bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment. This module is assigned to all colleagues through Compass (our colleague information system) as part of our core compliance training framework.
• Introduction of Carer’s Policy: 
  Red Funnel recognises the significant pressures colleagues with caring responsibilities can face in balancing work, care and their own wellbeing. To support this, the organisation introduced a new Carer’s Policy in February 2025, providing colleagues with clear guidance on their statutory entitlements and the support available when caring for a dependant with a long term care need. Through this policy, Red Funnel reaffirms its commitment to creating a compassionate and flexible working environment where colleagues feel supported in managing both their personal and professional responsibilities.
• Paternity Leave: 
  Red Funnel provides enhanced Company Paternity Leave, offering support above statutory entitlements. Eligible colleagues may take their paternity leave at any point within 52 weeks of their child’s birth or adoption placement, in line with current legislation and Red Funnel’s family friendly approach. The organisation also encourages the use of Parental Leave to further support the family unit.
• Sickness Benefit:
  Red Funnel continues to strengthen colleague wellbeing through the provision of Private Medical Insurance (PMI) for all employees. As part of this support, colleagues have access to a dedicated Menopause Plan, which includes an appointment with a GP trained in menopause care to create a personalised support plan, followed by ongoing guidance from specially trained BUPA nurses. Uptake of PMI has continued to grow, increasing by 9.8% in 2026 reflecting the value colleagues place on accessible and comprehensive health support.
• Occupational Health Support: 
  Red Funnel continues to embed its Occupational Health (OH) provision as part of our wider commitment to colleague wellbeing. The service offers proactive, early intervention support, enabling colleagues to access professional advice, adjustments and guidance to help them remain well at work or return safely following absence. As this provision has become established within the organisation, we have seen a continued improvement in colleague wellbeing, with our sickness rate reducing by 2% during 2024 and a further 0.7% reduction during 2025. This positive trend demonstrates the impact of accessible health support and our focus on creating a healthy and sustainable working environment.
• Mental Health Awareness:
  Red Funnel is proud to have a network of 27 Mental Health First Aiders across both the Isle of Wight and the mainland, including one colleague additionally qualified in Suicide First Aid: Understanding Suicide Intervention.
• Employee Assistance Programme:
  Red Funnel’s Employee Assistance Programme is delivered through Bupa Healthy Minds, providing employees and their immediate family members with 24/7 year round access to mental wellbeing support. The service offers confidential telephone consultations with qualified counsellors, face to face or virtual counselling, CBT sessions, and specialist helplines for legal and financial matters, as well as child and dependent care guidance.
• WeCare (virtual healthcare platform):
  WeCare provides employees with convenient access to a wide range of virtual healthcare services through an easy to use app. This includes phone or video consultations with UK based GPs, with the option for private prescriptions where clinically appropriate. The platform also offers additional wellbeing support features, helping colleagues access timely advice and care whenever they need it.
• Wellbeing Wednesday:
  Wellbeing Wednesday is Red Funnel’s weekly wellbeing newsletter, spotlighting the four pillars of wellbeing through practical insights and accessible content. Recent editions have covered themes such as Why We Procrastinate, Managing Everyday Stress, The Science of Motivation, and How to Build Healthy Micro Habits. Engagement remains consistently strong, with around 34% of employees reading each weekly edition in January 2026.
• Wellbeing Strategy Meeting:
  Our female Human Resources Manager represents Red Funnel within this cross organisation wellbeing group, sharing our initiatives with local employers (including those in the marine sector) and gaining valuable insights from the diverse ways other organisations approach wellbeing.
• Employee Benefits Package:
  Red Funnel’s benefits offering provides colleagues with access to a wide range of financial, wellbeing and lifestyle support designed to meet diverse needs across the workforce. The package includes core benefits such as pension contributions, life assurance, enhanced family friendly leave, travel concessions and wellbeing initiatives. These benefits are promoted consistently across the organisation to ensure all colleagues are aware of and able to access the support available to them. By offering a broad and inclusive benefits suite, Red Funnel aims to create an environment where all employees can thrive. This approach helps reduce structural barriers, supports retention and progression, and contributes to longer term efforts to narrow the gender pay gap.
• Social Committee:
  Red Funnel’s social committee plays an active role in fostering colleague engagement and community spirit across the business. The committee organises a range of inclusive events throughout the year - from company family days and charity linked activities to regular social gatherings and informal morale boosting initiatives - helping to strengthen connection and create opportunities for colleagues to come together outside of their day to day roles.
• CSR Activities:
  Red Funnel is committed to supporting initiatives that encourage women and young people to explore careers within the marine and STEM sectors. Our colleagues regularly take part in activities across both the mainland and the Isle of Wight, including conducting mock interviews to help students build confidence ahead of future job or college applications, and attending careers and recruitment fairs. As part of this work, Red Funnel has also engaged with STEM focused outreach initiatives, including participation in last year’s STEM festival held in Cowes - an event designed to “light a spark” of interest in science, technology, engineering and maths among local young people. These activities form part of Red Funnel’s broader commitment to community engagement, supporting employability, raising aspirations, and showcasing diverse pathways into the maritime and STEM industries.
• Annual Remuneration Review:
  Red Funnel undertakes an annual review of remuneration in collaboration with our recognised Trade Unions and benchmarks new roles to ensure our salary levels remain fair, consistent and competitive within the market.
• Transparency of Employee Engagement Survey:
  Red Funnel is committed to openly sharing the outcomes of its employee engagement survey across the organisation. Colleagues are provided with clear insights into what the business is doing well and where improvements are needed, ensuring transparency and helping to shape meaningful action plans. Encouragingly, participation increased from 24% in 2024 to 28.2% in 2025, reflecting growing colleague engagement in shaping the future of the organisation.
• Transparency:
  Alongside the mandatory gender pay gap submission, Red Funnel voluntarily publishes a full narrative report that explains our data, highlights the factors influencing our pay gap, and sets out the actions we are taking to address it. This open approach reflects our commitment to transparency and our determination to drive meaningful progress on equality.

Declaration
I confirm that our data has been calculated according to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

Fran Collins, CEO Red Funnel

Red Funnel’s Gender Pay Gap Mission Statement

Red Funnel is committed to reducing its Gender Pay Gap (GPG) with an aspiration of a reduction to zero, whilst appreciating that historically, the marine industry has a high level of gender discrepancies. Red Funnel’s mean (average) gender pay gap continues to drop with a 16% improvement from first reporting in 2017, which clearly evidences our approach to equal opportunities and our ongoing initiatives to improve this year on year.  

What is the Gender Pay Gap?

Any organisation that has 250 or more employees must publish and report specific figures about its gender pay gap. The gender pay gap is the difference between the average earnings of men and women, expressed relative to men’s earnings. The value of reporting this information, to both the UK economy as a whole and to our own organisation, is of great importance when measured to its full potential and is used to develop our employment strategies.

By considering any remuneration discrepancies which may inadvertently exist within our organisation and using this information to put together a proactive approach to incite positive change, we can reduce this remuneration issue which is present in many sectors of UK employment.

The GPG figures are calculated by analysing all our employees’ hourly rates of pay on a single specified date. The hourly rates of pay are then divided into four quartiles to show the distribution of men and women at various levels in our organisation. A calculation is also made regarding bonus pay and the average difference in this pay between men and women, whilst reporting the percentage of each gender paid a bonus.

These figures do not in any way relate to the rate of pay for a particular role, or the basis for pay grading of those jobs. Instead, they tend to show the level of seniority of women in the workplace and the level at which the majority are employed.               
What are our figures? 

Red Funnel Group’s gender pay gap and gender bonus gap figures relating to the snapshot date of 5th April 2024:

• Our mean gender pay gap is 18.7% (2023 19.5%)
• Our median gender pay gap is 19.2% (2023 22.07%)
• Our mean gender bonus gap is -13.69% (2023 -4.51%)
• Our median gender bonus gap is 0% (2023 -39.13%)
• The proportion of male employees receiving a bonus is 19.63% (2023 86.21%) and the proportion of female employees receiving a bonus is 31.22% (2023 86.06%)         
   

Please find below the Red Funnel Group pay quartile percentages (number of employees in each): 

 Please find below the Red Funnel Group pay Female/Male quartile distribution since the start of the GPG reporting in 2017:

The figures set out above have been calculated using the standard methodologies used in the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

What Our Figures Show

Red Funnel’s mean gender pay gap is reducing, with a 16% improvement overall from 34.7% when we first reported these figures in 2017 showcasing Red Funnel’s ongoing commitment to reducing its gender pay gap. The gap has steadily decreased year on year, though normal variances in staff turnover for senior onboard roles meant a minor upturn of 1% in 2023, subsequently returning to trend by dropping by 0.8% in 2024.

 ‘Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2024’ national statistics by the Department for Transport, compiled from certification data held by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and data collected via the UK Chamber Shipping Seafarer Employment Survey states the following:

• 16% of UK seafarers active at sea in 2024 were female (no change from 2023)
• 6% of Certificated Officers were female (an increase from 1% in 2023).

Red Funnel is delighted that, in a traditionally male dominated industry, its reflective statistics are as follows:

• 26.98% of seafarers active at sea in 2024 were female (a slight decrease of 1.86% from 28.84% in 2023)
• 5.06% of Certificated Officers were female (a slight decrease from 7.5% in 2023, 0.94% lower than the Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2024 statistics)

At the snapshot date of 5 April 2024, 75% of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) at Red Funnel were female including the CEO (decreasing slightly to 60% if including one SLT member acting in a consultant capacity).  Across the 12 Heads of Department, 25% were female, a slight decrease of 8% since April 2023.

The band/quartile percentages divide the workforce into four equally sized groups based on their hourly pay rate, with Band A being the lowest paid 25% of employees and Band D covering the highest paid 25% of employees.  In order for there to be little or no gender pay gap, there would need to be the same ratio of men to women in each quartile. An organisation with a high ratio of men to women in Band D is likely to have a gender pay gap, as is an organisation with a high ratio of women to men in Band A.  Since first reporting in 2017, the percentage of females in Band D (the higher quartile) has increased by 1.56% though it should be noted that the figure did decrease slightly in 2024 to 16.26% from 17.8% the previous year.  The split of males and females in Band A (the lower quartile) is exactly half at 50%, with the number of females dropping slightly from 54.6% in 2023.  It should also be noted that women in Band C (employees whose standard hourly rate places them above the median but at or below the upper quartile) has increased by 0.52% (from 26.9% in 2023 to 27.42% in 2024).

Red Funnel’s gender bonus figures include payments made under schemes such as Annual Bonus, Long Service, Refer a Friend and First-Class Service, plus incentive schemes specific to individual departments i.e. sales. During this snapshot period, 31.22% of female employees received a bonus (compared to 19.63% males) with Red Funnel’s median bonus gender pay gap (the difference between the median bonus pay of female and male employees) is zero. The mean gender bonus gap (average) is -13.69% (from -4.51% in 2023) meaning women receive more than males. Upon analysis of the outliers* of the bonus data, whilst there are a larger proportion of male outliers, the amounts paid to female outliers are higher – this is due to two factors: firstly, females receiving multiple bonus types, having utilised the various different bonus schemes on offer across Red Funnel. Secondly, there are a small number of annual bonuses paid to employees for meeting agreed KPI’s as part of their overall contractual remuneration package.

Red Funnel is committed to the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment for all employees, regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, age, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability. We have a clear policy of paying employees equally for the same or equivalent work, regardless of gender (or any other characteristic set out above).

*those either at the very lowest pay, or very highest, which can skew results (source: GapSquare 06/03/25)

What are we doing to address our pay gap?

The historic nature of the maritime sector in which we operate is the main contributing factor to our gender pay gap figure.  Red Funnel continues to be proactive in taking steps to address this, primarily around supporting equality for female mariners, attracting more women to the industry at all levels and by further extending our initiatives to support women currently working at Red Funnel across all roles (including those working on shore), aiming to ‘retain’ as well as ‘attract’ women to work within the business.  

Red Funnel is actively addressing its gender pay gap through the instigation of new incentives plus the development of ongoing incentives including the following:

• Menopause Policy: Red Funnel’s Menopause Policy sets out the rights of employees experiencing menopausal symptoms; signposting the support available and offering awareness to others within the organisation.  Furthermore, Red Funnel have five ‘Menopause Champions’ split across the Isle of Wight and the mainland, who are open to sharing their own experiences in order to support others. Red Funnel actively promote awareness of the menopause and encourage open discussions in order to remove the stigma, allowing employees to feel comfortable about raising or sharing any concerns. Red Funnel’s HR Team are also working in consideration of signing the Menopause Workplace Pledge.
• Sickness Benefit: In addition to the extension of the Private Medical Insurance (PMI) scheme to all employees, Red Funnel has further enhanced the provision by the inclusion of the Menopause Plan, offering an appointment with a GP trained in Menopause Care to build a personal care plan, followed-up with ongoing support from specially trained BUPA nurses. PMI uptake increased by 18.18% in 2024 to 28.88% of employees.
• Occupational Health Provision: Red Funnel’ transferred their occupational health provision in 2024 to a local provider offering an enhanced and best fit service with the option of referrals held at the provider’s offices or virtually - the service offers availability of a wide range of medical practitioners including doctors, nurses and psychiatrists. The support mechanisms for an employee’s wellbeing offered by Red Funnel have reduced absence management rates by 2% during the course of 2024.
• Mental Health Awareness: Red Funnel is proud to have 24 Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) split across the Isle of Wight and the mainland and in addition, one MHFA is trained in ‘Suicide First Aid Through Understanding Suicide Intervention’.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Red Funnel transferred to Bupa Healthy Minds in 2024 offering an enhanced service, 24/7 365 days a year, via a mental wellbeing helpline, available for employees and immediate family members.  This enhanced service offers confidential telephone consultations with qualified counsellors in face-to-face or virtual counselling; CBT sessions;  support from specialist helplines for legal or financial issues; and child & dependent care.  Support is also offered through WeCare (virtual healthcare platform) via an app including consultation with UK-based GP’s by phone or video call (with the option for private prescriptions).
• Wellbeing Wednesday: Wellbeing Wednesday is a weekly newsletter focusing on the four pillars of wellbeing – recent issues included The Power of Sleep; A Prescription for Nature; and Curiosity: Your Hidden Superpower, peaking at 45% readership across the business.  Furthermore, a female Senior Leadership Team member (Human Resources Director) shared her journey and growth during pivotal moments in her life in an issue on ‘The Power of Meditation’ where she explained the powerful impact of meditation as it helped her navigate her way through.
• Wellbeing Strategy Meeting: Our female Human Resources Manager has represented Red Funnel as a member of this group, sharing our own wellbeing initiatives with local businesses (including marine) whilst learning from other organisations as they shared their different perspectives on what wellbeing means to them.
• Talent Management: Red Funnel’s Talent Management team are available to discuss incentives such as Leadership Development, Apprenticeships, Cadetship and Mentoring. In addition, Red Funnel’s Talent Management plan explores areas such as succession planning, performance management, employee retention, and building ‘talent pools’. Compass (Red Funnel’s colleague information system) launched its recruitment module in 2024, streamlining processes for ease of application.  Furthermore, Red Funnel’s competency framework has been complemented by new structured interviews & skill-based assessment tasks.  
• Performance Development Review: PDR’s within Compass have been overhauled to streamline and simplify the process, formalising the performance cycle, including the kudos functionality for recognition.
• Flexible Working: Red Funnel is committed to offering colleagues the opportunity to maintain a balance between their home and work lives.  In addition to our Flexible Working Request policy, Red Funnel has formalised our hybrid working model as a contractual arrangement, including the potential for flexibility in how an employee’s weekly hours are worked, which may support childcare or other commitments outside of work.
• Job Shares: Red Funnel welcomes Flexible Working Requests from employees wishing to explore the possibility of a job share arrangement, the requests of which are increasing on a regular basis, with several such arrangements already in place.
• Passenger Operations Consultation: Passenger Operations consulted with onboard crew to amend their working patterns to a favourable 4 on 4 off shift pattern, facilitating a reduction of hours; enhancing the hourly rate across all ranks; rebranding job titles to better reflect the role; and improving recruitment & retention and reducing fatigue.  
• Paternity Leave: Red Funnel offers company Paternity Leave over and above the statutory (to be taken within 52 weeks of the baby’s birth) in addition to encouraging Parental Leave, in order to support the family unit.
• Annual Remuneration Review: Red Funnel works closely with our recognised Trade Unions to review remuneration on an annual basis and in addition, benchmark new roles to the organisation, to ensure that our salaries remain competitive.  
• Suite of Employee Relations Workshops: Workshops are regularly held for all Line Managers, in conjunction with our lawyers, on subjects including ‘Inclusive Recruitment’, ‘Managing Absence’ and ‘Effective Employee Relations’, re-iterating Red Funnel’s zero tolerance policy on discrimination and threading this theme through every module. Furthermore, Red Funnel’s ‘Leading the Way’ course for Line Managers further reinforces awareness of unconscious bias.   
• Anti-harassment & Anti-bullying and Equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI) Policies: Red Funnel believe that having a culture that is diverse, equitable and inclusive is core to everything that we strive to achieve and to the organisational environment we wish to protect. One key to protecting our culture and our people is seeking to eradicate bullying or harassment at work.  Following the new Worker Protection (Amendment to the Equality Act 2020) Act 2023 on sexual harassment, two new policies were published to mark the significant shift in obligation towards employers to challenge and prevent inappropriate behaviour & conduct, including by third parties. In addition to the new policies, a new module called ‘Bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment’ has been assigned to all colleagues in Compass. The bill was prompted by the 2018 Women and Equalities Select Committee (WESC) report, which highlighted widespread workplace sexual harassment, particularly against women.
• Introduction of Carer’s Policy: Red Funnel recognises the challenges that Carers face while trying to balance the demands of caring, work, and looking after their own health. As an organisation, we are committed to doing what we can to help ensure that the health and wellbeing of colleagues with caring responsibilities is looked after.
• CSR Activities: Red Funnel often participates in activities on both the mainland and the Isle of Wight to actively encourage women into a career within the Marine industry, including conducting mock interviews for students aiming to build confidence with future job or college interviews and attending careers or recruitment fayres. Red Funnel recently nominated a female colleague to represent the business as an ambassador to the Mayflower Theatre, which runs performing arts training for young people, actively seeking out young talent through outreach workshops in local schools and colleges.
• Transparency of employee engagement survey: Openness to sharing the results at all levels across the organisation, including the ‘satisfaction versus driver of satisfaction matrix’, highlighting where we need to focus our energies and lean into.
• Transparency: In addition to the mandatory gender pay gap report required by law, Red Funnel made the decision to publish the accompanying narrative report offering an analysis of our metrics, identifying areas for improvement and providing an action plan to reduce the identifiable gap.  Being proactive and acknowledging this gap exists demonstrates Red Funnel’s commitment to equality.

Declaration      
I confirm that our data has been calculated according to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

 Fran Collins, CEO Red Funnel

Red Funnel’s Gender Pay Gap Mission Statement

Red Funnel is committed to reducing its Gender Pay Gap (GPG) with an aspiration of a reduction to zero, whilst appreciating that historically, the marine industry has a high level of gender discrepancies. Red Funnel’s mean (average) gender pay gap is closing with a 15.2% improvement from first reporting in 2017, which clearly evidences our approach to equal opportunities and our continuation to develop initiatives to support this year on year.

What is the Gender Pay Gap?

Any organisation that has 250 or more employees must publish and report specific figures about their gender pay gap. The gender pay gap is the difference between the average earnings of men and women, expressed relative to men’s earnings. The value of reporting on this information, to both the UK economy as a whole and to our own organisation, is of great importance when measured to its full potential and is used to develop our employment strategies.

By considering any remuneration discrepancies which may inadvertently exist within our organisation and using this information to put together a proactive approach to incite positive change, we can reduce this remuneration issue which is present in many sectors of UK employment.

The GPG figures are calculated by analysing all our employees’ hourly rates of pay on a single specified date. The hourly rates of pay are then divided into four quartiles to show the distribution of men and women at various levels in our organisation. A calculation is also made regarding bonus pay and the average difference in this pay between men and women, whilst reporting the percentage of each gender paid a bonus.

These figures do not in any way relate to the rate of pay for a particular role, or the basis for pay grading of those jobs. Instead, they tend to show the level of seniority of women in the workplace and the level at which the majority are employed.

What are our figures? 

Red Funnel Group gender pay gap and gender bonus gap figures relating to the snapshot date of 5th April 2023:


 

• Our mean gender pay gap is 19.5% (2022 18.49%)
• Our median gender pay gap is 22.07% (2022 22.81%)
• Our mean gender bonus gap is -4.51% (2022 -51.3%)
• Our median gender bonus gap is -39.13% (2022 0%)
• The proportion of male employees receiving a bonus is 86.21% (2022 88.82%) and the proportion of female employees receiving a bonus is 86.06%. (2022 87.88%)

Please find below the Red Funnel Group pay quartile percentages (number of employees in each):

Please find below the Red Funnel Group pay Female/Male quartile distribution since the start of the GPG reporting in 2017:

The figures set out above have been calculated using the standard methodologies used in the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

What Our Figures Show

Red Funnel’s mean gender pay gap is closing with a 15.2% improvement overall from 34.7% when we first reported these figures in 2017 showcasing Red Funnel’s ongoing commitment to reducing its gender pay gap. Whilst the gap has steadily decreased year on year, normal variances in staff turnover for senior onboard roles has meant a minor upturn of 1% in 2023. 

‘Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2023’ national statistics by the Department for Transport, compiled from certification data held by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), and data collected via the UK Chamber Shipping Seafarer Employment Survey states the following:

• 16% of UK seafarers active at sea in 2023 were female (an increase from 11% in 2022)
• 5% of Certificated Officers were female (an increase from 4% in 2022).

Red Funnel is delighted that, in a traditional male dominated industry, its reflective statistics are as follows:

• 28.84% of seafarers active at sea in 2023 were female (an increase from 26.99% in 2022)
• 7.5% of Certificated Officers were female (an increase from 7.35% in 2022)

At the snapshot date of 5 April 2023, 60% of the Senior Leadership Team at Red Funnel were female including the CEO.  Across the 12 Heads of Department, 33% were female, a slight decrease of 8.37% since April 2022.

The band/quartile percentages divide the workforce into four equally sized groups based on their hourly pay rate, with Band A being the lowest paid 25% of employees and Band D covering the highest paid 25% of employees.  In order for there to be little or no gender pay gap, there would need to be the same ratio of men to women in each quartile. An organisation with a high ratio of men to women in Band D is likely to have a gender pay gap, as is an organisation with a high ratio of women to men in Band A.  Since first reporting in 2017, the percentage of females in Band D (the higher quartile) has increased by 3.1% though it should be noted that the figure did decrease slightly in 2023 to 17.8% from 20.4% the previous year.  The split of males and females in Band A (the lower quartile) remains almost static from the 2022 figures (0.4% difference).  It should also be noted that women in Band C (employees whose standard hourly rate places them above the median but at or below the upper quartile) has increased by 2.8% (from 24.1% in 2022 to 26.9% in 2023).

Red Funnel’s gender bonus figures include payments made under schemes such as Annual Bonus, Long Service, Refer a Friend and First-Class Service, plus incentive schemes specific to individual departments ie sales. During this snapshot period, 86.06% of female employees received a bonus (compared to 86.21% males) with Red Funnel’s median bonus gender pay gap (the difference between the median bonus pay of female and male employees) at -4.51%. The mean gender bonus gap (average) is -39.13% (from -51.3% in 2022) with females paid more than males. Upon analysis of the outliers* of the bonus data, whilst there are a larger proportion of male outliers, the amounts paid to female outliers are higher – this is due to two factors: firstly, females receiving multiple bonus types, having utilised the various different bonus schemes on offer across Red Funnel. Secondly, there are a small number of annual bonuses paid to employees for meeting agreed KPI’s as part of their overall contractual remuneration package.

Red Funnel is committed to the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment for all employees, regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, age, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability. We have a clear policy of paying employees equally for the same or equivalent work, regardless of gender (or any other characteristic set out above).

*individual values that fall outside of the overall pattern of a dataset (source: GapSquare 07/03/24)

What are we doing to address our pay gap?

The historic nature of the maritime sector in which we operate is the main contributing factor to our gender pay gap figure.  Red Funnel continues to be proactive in taking steps to address this, primarily around supporting equality for female mariners, attracting more women to the industry at all levels and by further extending our initiatives to support women currently working at Red Funnel across all roles (including those working on shore), aiming to ‘retain’ as well as ‘attract’ women to work within the business.  

Red Funnel is actively addressing our gender pay gap through the instigation of new incentives plus the development of ongoing incentives including the following:

• Menopause Policy: Red Funnel’s Menopause Policy was published in April 2022, setting out the rights of employees experiencing menopausal symptoms; signposting the support available and offering awareness to others within the organisation.  Furthermore, Red Funnel now has increased from three to five ‘Menopause Champions’ split across the Isle of Wight and the mainland, who are open to sharing their own experiences in order to support others.  Red Funnel’s HR Team is currently working with the Sustainability Officer in consideration of signing the Menopause Workplace Pledge.
• Formalisation of the Hybrid Working Model Trial:  Following a successful hybrid working trial and the analysis of an employee survey indicating 100% of respondents wishing for the arrangements to continue on a permanent basis, this model was formalised in 2023. Hybrid working is for office-based employees to spend between 40% and 60% in the office per week, working remotely for the remainder. This includes the potential for flexibility in how an employee’s weekly hours are worked, which may support childcare or other commitments outside of work.
• Talent Management: Red Funnel recently appointed a dedicated Talent & Organisational Development Manager who is available to discuss incentives such as Leadership Development, Apprenticeships and Mentoring.  In addition, Red Funnel’s Talent Management plan explores areas such as succession planning, performance management, employee retention, and building ‘talent pools’.
• New Competency Framework: Red Funnel has launched a new competency framework which will be reflected against each job role within the organisation, allowing candidates to be assessed not just on skillset, but upon the utilisation of these skills in performing a role effectively, removing the potential for unconscious bias or discrimination of any kind.
• Annual Remuneration Review: Red Funnel works closely with our recognised Trade Unions to review remuneration on an annual basis and in addition, benchmark new roles to the organisation, to ensure that our salaries remain competitive. 
  CSR Activities: Red Funnel often participates in activities on both the mainland and the Isle of Wight to actively encourage women into a career within the Marine industry, including conducting mock interviews for students aiming to build confidence with future job or college interviews; attending careers or recruitment fayres across various organisations including Palladium (government funded organisation for the long-term unemployed); and maritime events such as the ‘Maritime Roadshow for Girls’ run by Maritime UK Solent.  
• Job Shares: Red Funnel welcomes Flexible Working Requests from employees wishing to explore the possibility of a job share arrangement, the requests of which are increasing on a regular basis, with several such arrangements already in place.
• Mental Health Awareness: Red Funnel is proud to have 20 Mental Health First Aiders split across both the Isle of Wight and the mainland and in addition, Mental Health Awareness sessions have been held across all areas of the business.
• New Employee Assistance Programme: After reviewing our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Red Funnel transferred to Bupa Healthy Minds which offers a 24/7 service, 365 days a year via a mental wellbeing helpline, available for employees and immediate family members.  This enhanced service offers confidential telephone consultations with qualified counsellors including the option of face-to-face or virtual counselling, CBT sessions or support from specialist helplines for legal or financial issues, and child & dependent care.  Support is also offered through WeCare (virtual healthcare platform) via an app which includes consultation with UK-based GP’s by video and life events counselling i.e. bereavement.
• Sickness Benefit: From January 2023 the Private Medical Insurance scheme was extended to all employees and in addition, Red Funnel’s company sick pay scheme was enhanced.
• New Occupational Health Provision: Red Funnel’s occupational health provision moved to a local provider offering an enhanced and best fit service with the option of referrals held at the provider’s offices or virtually - the service offers availability of a wide range of medical practitioners including doctors, nurses and psychiatrists.
• Wellbeing Wednesday: Wellbeing Wednesday is a weekly newsletter covering the four key wellbeing pillars (physical, emotional, financial and social) and on the last Wednesday of every month an article is run focusing on support for Menopausal or Perimenopausal women at work.
• HR Clinics: HR Clinics are held 3 times per week across all shoreside locations and are now also held onboard, extending the availability of support to those who may find it challenging to find time to visit clinics whilst working on the water or those based in more remote locations.
• Flexible Working Request Policy: Red Funnel offers enhanced flexible working rights, over and above the current statutory entitlement, allowing applications to be made from day one of employment with no restrictions on the number of applications per year.
• Suite of Employee Relations Workshops: Workshops are regularly held for all Line Managers, in conjunction with our lawyers, on subjects including ‘Inclusive Recruitment’, ‘Managing Absence’ and ‘Effective Employee Relations’, re-iterating Red Funnel’s zero tolerance policy on discrimination and threading this theme through every module.
• Women in Maritime Charter: Red Funnel signed the UK Chamber of Shipping’s incentive in March 2021 which aspires to see a gender balance at all levels across the maritime sector as “Women are a largely underrepresented group within the maritime world, and they bring a unique and different perspective to all businesses”.
• Compass: In 2023 Red Funnel launched a new Colleague Information System which is an intuitive, cloud-based system used for HR functions such as requesting annual leave and entering timesheets, offering flexibility with the ability to logon either at home or via an app.  Rostering, Learning Management System (LMS), Talent Management are now live and rollout of the Recruitment module including an applicant tracking system is imminent.
• Transparency: In addition to the mandatory gender pay gap report required by law, Red Funnel made the decision to publish the accompanying narrative report offering an analysis of our metrics, identifying areas for improvement and providing an action plan to reduce the identifiable gap.  Being proactive and acknowledging this gap exists demonstrates Red Funnel’s commitment to equality.

Declaration

I confirm that our data has been calculated according to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

Fran Collins, CEO Red Funnel