UK — Gender pay gap reporting

Local reporting requirements in the UK

In the UK, gender pay gap reporting is mandatory for organizations with 250 or more employees. (However, smaller organizations may also choose to report.) Employers must report a few key gender pay gap metrics, along with a written statement (waived for most public employers) to the UK government. Reports must be made publicly available.

The reporting system uses a snapshot date of April 5 for private, voluntary and public employers and March 31 for most public organizations. Reports are due within a year of the snapshot date.

One unique feature of the UK reporting system is that it lets employers add an optional supporting narrative and/or action plan. This information is never required. But including it lets an organization publicly explain an identified pay gap and describe what will be done or has been done to address the issue.

What happens next

Reports should be uploaded to the gender pay gap service website. They must also be posted on the organization’s website so they are publicly accessible. Organizations with 250 or more employees do face fines for non-reporting.

There are no financial penalties for organizations that report a gender pay gap, even a large one. However, the reports are all publicly available. So a large gap with no effort to close it may pose a risk to the company’s public reputation, marketability, and employee recruitment and retention. It’s therefore in the organization’s best interests to make efforts to close the gap.

While reporting is currently optional for smaller organizations, they may still choose to report. In this case, reporting furthers pay transparency and publicly shows an investment in workplace equality.

Please note that while this local resource information has been compiled by beqom's legal and pay equity experts, it does not constitute legal advice.