Eliminating ethnicity-based pay inequity – it starts with data
Employers are becoming more transparent and proactive when it comes to unequal pay. Following the upsurge in gender pay gap reporting and analysis, ethnicity is another area of concern for a host of businesses. Those who respond quickest and most impactfully stand to gain significant momentum in the eyes of current and future employees, as well as competitive advantage in the eyes of would-be clients or customers. And it all starts with the data.
Closing the Gap
In 2020, the mean UK ethnicity pay gap between Black, Asian and minority ethnic and non-Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff was 29.3%
Equal Pay
Only 11% of UK businesses published ethnicity pay gap reports in 2020
Thorough + transparent
Moving beyond reporting on the ethnicity pay gap
As of February 2021, there were no Black CEOs, chairpersons or CFOs in any of the UK’s FTSE 100 listed companies. Organisations and their leadership teams are rightly under pressure to be more reflective of the society and consumer bases they serve. More equal pay and representation stands to unlock a host of business benefits, from increased staff retention, belonging and wellbeing, to better insights into the diverse needs of their customers.
According to PwC, 23% of businesses were already calculating their ethnicity pay gap in 2020, up from just 5% in 2018. But what comes next? More action is needed — grounded in thorough data analysis that can be used to drive more effective decision-making.

Practical + proactive
Take informed, meaningful strides to break the ethnicity pay gap
Work with our team of EDI experts and you’ll feel more confident about raising the ethnicity pay gap problem, gathering the relevant data, and asking questions around race within your organisation. We’ll also work with you to set robust performance objectives, ensuring that pay equity is embedded in the wider strategic decision-making process. These goals may also include activities to:
- Recruit more inclusively and free from bias
- Champion race within the organisation
- Establish mentoring or sponsorship arrangements
- Foster a spirit of allyship across the business
- Address workplace bullying and harassment concerns
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Dive deeper into diversity, equity and inclusion
Check out our range of posts, resources, and thought leadership on EDI at work.