Glossary · UK

What is Gender Pay Gap Reporting?

A legal duty on larger UK employers to publish the difference in average pay between their male and female employees each year.

Full Definition

Gender pay gap reporting is a mandatory annual disclosure for employers in Great Britain with 250 or more employees on a set snapshot date. Employers must calculate and publish six measures: the mean and median hourly pay gaps, the mean and median bonus gaps, the proportion of men and women receiving a bonus, and the proportion of each sex in four pay quartiles. The figures are published on the employer's own website and the government's gender pay gap service, with deadlines in early April (public sector) and early April (private and voluntary sector). The gap reflects the difference between average male and female earnings across the whole workforce; it is not the same as equal pay, which concerns equal pay for equal work and is a separate legal obligation. Reporting matters because it creates transparency, drives action on workforce equality, and exposes employers to reputational and regulatory consequences for non-compliance. No specific pay figures are prescribed.