The UK government has launched new guidance encouraging companies with more than 250 employees to publish voluntary action plans to support women to succeed at work along with their gender pay gap data.
Large employers are required to report their gender pay gap data annually, but the government is pushing for firms to also publish the steps they are taking to reduce their gender pay gap and support employees through menopause.
According to the guidance, published today (7 April), the purpose of the action plan will be to help employers take the necessary measures to close their pay gaps and improve gender equality in the workforce.
Organisations will need to report on the steps they are taking to reducing their pay gap and how they are supporting their employees who are experiencing menopause, including both peri-menopause and post-menopause.
The recommended action plans could also benefit employees with other menstrual health issues like endometriosis, fibroids and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
The action plans, introduced on a voluntary basis this year but mandatory from April 2027, subject to legislation, will be published on the government’s gender pay gap service and will be made public, along with firms’ gender pay gap numbers.
The government has also urged companies to look at the data through an intersectional lens as employees may be doubly disadvantaged in the workplace. Their other identities such as ethnicity, disability, socio-economic status background could overlap with their gender.
The action plan guideline must also mention the name of a person responsible for the report, who would be at the director, partner or senior officer level.
Last year, according to an analysis by Property Week of 29 bellwether real estate firms, women earned 81p for every pound earned by men.
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