Key takeaways
Target actions that deliver measurable impact
Employers are encouraged to prioritise measures with strong evidence of impact, such as flexible job design and structured interviews.
Monitor progress to drive meaningful change
Regularly reviewing outcomes helps ensure initiatives are working and resources are well spent.
Leadership and accountability drive progress
Senior-level commitment and inclusive practices are key to long-term change.
Gender pay gap: evidence-based actions to reduce the gap
The Office for Equality and Opportunity and Women and Equalities Unit have jointly published an updated report – ‘How to improve gender equality in the workplace: actions for employers’ – which outlines evidence-based actions employers can take to reduce their gender pay gap.
In summary, the report groups employer actions into the following four areas:
hiring and selection
talent management, learning and development
inclusion and retention
leadership and accountability
Within each grouping, potential actions are categorised as either ‘effective’ or ‘promising’. The report recommends prioritising those actions which evidence has proven to be the most ‘effective’. For example, in the section on hiring and selection, the most effective actions are reported to be: offering flexible working by default in job adverts; using structured interviews for recruitment and promotions; and making expectations around salaries and negotiation clear.
The report further recommends that employers evaluate the effectiveness of any actions implemented, explaining that this evaluation can help employers to direct limited resources to make the most impact and consider if the measures taken have unintended consequences. The report contains suggestions for appropriate evaluation methods.
The statutory guidance on gender pay gap reporting has also been updated to refer to the report.
