Standout gender pay gap narratives by sector
22nd June 2026
Julia Hanna
Having reviewed thousands of gender pay gap narratives for 2025–26, we identified the organisations producing the most thoughtful, transparent and impactful reports (see our shortlist here). However, one of the most common questions we get asked is: “What does good look like in my sector?”
It’s a fair question. The challenges facing a construction business are very different from those facing a retailer, healthcare provider or university. Workforce demographics, recruitment pipelines, career pathways and working patterns can all have a significant influence on an organisation’s gender pay gap.
Whilst gender pay narratives remain voluntary for now (although publication is set to become mandatory from April 2027), the likelihood of employers publishing one varies by sector. More than half of employers in Electricity & Gas, Finance & Insurance, Mining & Quarrying, and Professional, Scientific & Technical sectors published a narrative. By contrast, fewer than 40% of employers in Health & Social Work and Accommodation & Food chose to do so.
Interestingly, we also found that the sectors with the largest gender pay gaps are those most likely to publish a narrative. Industries that have traditionally been male dominated are generally more likely to provide additional commentary than sectors with more balanced or female-majority workforces. Encouragingly, this suggests that many employers operating in sectors with the greatest challenges are taking gender pay gap reporting seriously and using the narrative as an opportunity to explain their data and demonstrate accountability.
Below, we’ve curated a shortlist of standout examples using a weighted scoring system based on the characteristics we believe make a great gender pay gap narrative (you can read more about our view on this here). In a couple of sectors, we’ve included more than one example because, quite simply, we couldn’t choose between them. Each demonstrates good practice in a different way.
| Sector | Organisation | Why it stood out |
| Accommodation | Atlas Hotels | Provides additional workforce representation data beyond the statutory requirements and clearly explains the reasons behind changes in the pay gap year-on-year. |
| Food | Brunning & Price | Connects employee inclusion with customer experience and includes clear commitments on working hours, family policies, menopause. Extends pay gap reporting to ethnicity. |
| Agriculture | Cranswick | Part of a wider diversity and strategic report it combines reporting across multiple entities clearly with sharp graphics. Openly acknowledges where diversity targets have not been met, alongside clear commitments for improvement. |
| Arts & Recreation | Flight Club | Demonstrates a clear commitment to greater transparency in reward and career progression decisions. |
| Construction | BAM Nuttall | Combines UK and Ireland reporting, incorporates ethnicity data and brings the figures to life through personal stories and experiences. |
| Construction | Berkeley Group | Tackles the industry’s structural challenges head-on, with clear accountability and specific actions aimed at improving opportunities for women. |
| Education | University of Suffolk | Supplemented by an EDI report providing pay gaps for ethnicity and disability as well as a host of data showing protected characteristics through recruitment and internal progression processes. |
| Energy | Equans | Provides extensive demographic data and focuses not only on attraction and progression but also on addressing cultural and systemic barriers. |
| Finance | Aberdeen plc | Moves beyond reporting symptoms to addressing root causes so the focus is on moving from diversity quantity to inclusion quality, with a thoughtful commentary on language and identity. |
| Health | InHealth | A concise and accessible narrative with a practical action plan covering transparent pay practices, menopause support and psychological safety. |
| Wholesale & Retail | ASOS | Clear targets for female and ethnically diverse representation at senior management level, documenting steps taken so far and new initiatives with inclusion at their heart |
| Wholesale & Retail | AllSaints | Eloquently explains pay and bonus gaps despite a predominantly female workforce, goes beyond gender with additional demographic data and discusses how underrepresentation is being addressed, providing a real sense of the culture. |
The organisations above demonstrate that effective reporting is about clearly explaining what sits behind the numbers, what is being done to address any issues and how progress will be measured over time.
If there is one takeaway, it is that the best reports don’t just publish data. They tell a story, build trust and create accountability for change.
You can also explore our overall shortlist of the best gender pay gap narratives, and standout examples by employer size.
How we can help
At Verditer, we are specialists in reward including pay transparency and gap reporting. Contact us if you’re looking for external expertise to support with your gender pay gap or equality action plan.
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