The best gender pay gap narratives 2025-26
07th May 2026
Samantha Gee
Looking for examples of great gender pay gap narratives? We’ve done the hard work for you.
Each year, we review published gender pay gap narratives to identify the organisations producing the most thoughtful, transparent and impactful reports. It’s consistently one of our most popular blogs, and this year, we’ve taken the analysis a step further by using AI to support our review process.
As we highlighted in our recent blog, only around half of employers currently choose to publish a voluntary narrative alongside their gender pay gap figures. Of those that do, many still focus largely on repeating the statutory data rather than explaining the context behind the figures and outlining meaningful actions to address any gaps.
This year, we developed a weighted scoring framework based on the elements we believe make for a strong and credible narrative (you can read more on our criteria here). Using AI-assisted analysis, we reviewed and scored more than 4,500 published reports to create a shortlist of the standout examples.
Our assessment focused on:
- Clear, authentic and honest communication
- Providing context without using equal pay as a distraction or defence
- Going beyond gender to include ethnicity and disability pay gaps
- Referencing equality action plans, pay transparency and menopause support
- Including measurable objectives, targets and KPIs
We also considered the timing of publication. In our view, organisations publishing reports well ahead of the deadline demonstrate a stronger commitment to transparency and accountability, rather than treating reporting as a last-minute compliance exercise.
Here are our top eight narratives for 2025–26, listed alphabetically:
- Guardian News & Media: an accessible, jargon-free narrative that goes beyond gender to cover ethnicity and social mobility. The report includes tailored actions for each pay gap, alongside broader initiatives tackling inequality from multiple angles.
- John Sisk & Son Limited: despite covering six separate companies, the report remains easy to navigate and highly engaging. It is honest about the challenges facing both the organisation and the wider construction sector, without using these as excuses for the data. The narrative demonstrates clear leadership accountability, employee engagement and a commitment to influencing change across the industry.
- Metropolitan Housing Trust Limited: a strong example of broader pay gap reporting, incorporating disability and ethnicity alongside gender. The organisation has set measurable targets for representation in senior roles and focuses not only on recruitment, but also on retention, employee experience and consultation with staff networks on policy development.
- National Audit office: a comprehensive and data-rich report covering gender, ethnicity, disability and social mobility pay gaps. The narrative links clearly to a wider Diversity & Inclusion Strategy for 2026–2030 and provides transparent reporting on progress.
- RWE: a clear and action-focused narrative with well-defined targets and practical interventions. Alongside broader initiatives such as outreach programmes and employee networks, the report pays close attention to detail — including ensuring that every stage of recruitment is gender neutral. The accompanying animated video explaining the drivers behind the pay gap is particularly effective.
- Springer Nature: a well-structured and easy-to-read report with clear explanations of methodology and data. Actions focus strongly on career progression for women and enhanced family-friendly policies.
- Thatcham Research: a well-written narrative that guides the reader clearly through the data and explains how the organisation is addressing pay gaps through culture, flexibility, internal processes and policy improvements, including paternity leave and menopause support. The report also links effectively to a broader Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging strategy.
- Wise Payments Limited: although focused solely on gender, this is one of the more detailed narratives reviewed. It includes additional data on female representation beyond the statutory requirements and demonstrates a strong emphasis on ongoing monitoring and accountability, including analysis of pay gaps before and after salary review processes.
Congratulations to all the organisations that made this year’s list!
As a reminder, under the new Employment Rights Act, gender pay gap narratives and equality action plans, including menopause support, will become mandatory from March/April 2027. If you’d like to learn more, we’ve published a series of articles on the upcoming changes and will also be hosting a webinar on 19 May 2026 (sign up here).
We’ll also be sharing further blogs soon, including additional examples of great gender pay gap narratives by employer size and sector.
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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Related Insights
Employment Rights Act: navigating the new era of pay gap reporting
The first in our series exploring the impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on Pay Gap Reporting.
Employment Rights Act: what makes a great gender pay gap voluntary narrative
The second in our series exploring the impact of the Employment Rights Act on pay gap reporting looks at voluntary narratives.
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