Equality and Diversity
Staff profile data
The IPO headcount of 903 includes 27 Senior Civil Service (SCS) and SCS analogous grades (18 men, 9 women). The SCS analogous grades include 18 patent specialists (13 men, 5 women).
Protected characteristics
- Men - 55%
- Women - 45%
- Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic backgrounds - 4%
- People with a declared disability - 3.5%
- Pregnancy and maternity - over 90% of staff return to work after maternity leave.
We have limited data on other 'protected characteristics'.
Religion and belief
- Christian - 57%
- Other religious belief - 4%
- Other belief - 1%
Sexual orientation
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual - 4%
This data is derived from 134 replies (15% response rate) to a voluntary questionnaire issued to all staff in September 2011.
Pay and career structure
IPO has delegated pay responsibilities for the SCS analogous grades and for the 876 people below in Pay Bands A-D.
Staff in Pay Band A are mainly support grades. Line management responsibilities start at B1, middle and senior management responsibilities in the C/D Pay Bands - see the IPO workforce profile for further information.
Patent Examiners fill specialised posts at B2 Exr, C1 Exmr. and C2 Exmr. They have a structured career path, joining at B2 level with progression to C1 and then C2. Progression is achieved through reaching a level of competence and via a formal interview process.
Women fill 20% of patent examiner posts. Since 2007 IPO has recruited 54 patent examiners (32% women).
Patent posts in the SCS analogous grades of deputy director and above are filled through a competitive process. Women occupy just under 1:3 of these posts.
Next: Equal pay