2025/26
GENDER PAY GAP: INTRODUCTION
2025/26
GENDER PAY GAP: INTRODUCTION
2025/26
GENDER PAY GAP: INTRODUCTION
2025/26
GENDER PAY GAP: INTRODUCTION
2025/26
GENDER PAY GAP: INTRODUCTION
2025/26
GENDER PAY GAP: INTRODUCTION
Leading the way on responsible business, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), is a core strategic objective. A key component in achieving this objective is our work to close our gender pay gap, as well as our ethnicity and disability pay gaps (both included in this report). When it comes to achieving our goals, we believe transparency and accountability are key and so alongside voluntarily publishing our ethnicity and disability pay gap data, we also publish our salaried and equity partner data.
This year, we have continued the positive trajectory from last year, and further narrowed our employee gender pay gap, reducing our overall mean gender pay gap to 12.1%, and our median gender pay gap to 22.6%. We are very aware that there is still work to do and we remain committed to narrowing the gaps further.
Progress and initiatives over the last year (FY 2025/26)
Our 2025-2030 DEI Strategy and accompanying action plan sets out targeted initiatives which cover the whole employee lifecycle, including: inclusive recruitment; creating inclusive and respectful environments; reward and recognition; and promoting DEI externally, covering the collaborative work we do with our clients and local communities. Progress made over FY 2025/26 includes:
Inclusive recruitment
- Achieved Mansfield UK re-certification for our work to enhance inclusive recruitment practices and further drive diversity and inclusion in our leadership.
- Undertook analysis of our recruitment pipeline data to enable us to identify drop-off rates or disproportionate impacts affecting people from diverse backgrounds.
- Continued to enhance and embed DEI throughout our branding and marketing, including building on our social media campaign, #AuthenticallyWBD, aimed at attracting diverse talent.
Creating an inclusive and respectful environment
- Embedded our new Courageous Conversations series, aimed at educating and opening discussions on sensitive topics, such as hate crime and discrimination.
- Rolled out a suite of new DEI training, including mandatory DEI Essentials training, training on microaggressions, and revised unconscious bias training.
- Launched our new Managers Toolkit, which includes content around fostering inclusion.
Ensuring more inclusive recognition and reward
- Completed our pay gaps listening project which explored factors contributing to our gender pay gap and worked with key stakeholders, including our women's network (Thrive), to develop a Pay Gaps Action Plan.
- Progressed to the final planning stage of our new firmwide mentoring programme to support the progression of all talent across the firm.
- Launched our new in-house coaching to support colleagues returning from parental leave.
Promoting DEI externally
- Continued to work closely with clients and external stakeholders, sharing best practice and co-hosting DEI events and initiatives to raise awareness and drive impact on shared DEI priorities e.g. our "Women In…" series, and a joint panel event on "All Things Neurodiversity".
Spotlight figures
%Female promoted to salaried partner (promotion round July 2025)
2025
%Female Board members (2026)
2026
%Female Support Directors (2026)
2026
Looking ahead
As noted above, we recognise the work to close our pay gaps is a journey and we are committed to continuing to take positive steps. Over the next year we have a range of initiatives planned to support narrowing our pay gaps.
Inclusive Recruitment
- Redesign our job criteria, adverts and assessment methods to remove potential gender bias in hiring, with processes designed to focus more on skills and evidence, including standardised scoring matrices, clearer minimum criteria and inclusive job advertising.
- Strengthen recruiter and hiring manager capability through inclusive recruitment training and guidance, supporting more consistent and objective hiring decisions and reducing the risk of bias in the recruitment process.
Inclusive and Respectful Environment
- Create video case studies showing the career journeys of lawyers progressing into partnership, including examples of male and female colleagues who were promoted to salaried or equity partner whilst working part-time, when carers/parents, and/or who are part of an underrepresented group.
- Roll out an annual calendar of 'Courageous Conversations’, raising awareness and having open discussions around forms of discrimination and prejudice.
- Undertake a full review of our menopause support for colleagues.
Ensuring more inclusive recognition and reward
- Roll out our new firm-wide mentoring scheme to support career progression for all, (to include opportunities for reverse mentoring).
- Enhance our internal webpage to simplify access to career development information and support.
Promoting DEI externally
- Continue to capture opportunities to collaborate with clients and external stakeholders on DEI related events and initiatives to raise awareness and support one another to drive forward DEI.
More information
More information on our ongoing commitment to DEI, as well as our wider Responsible Business agenda, can be found throughout our 2026 Responsible Business Annual Report.
We confirm the data in this report is accurate.
Sally Dallow
Partner Lead for Responsible Business
Paul Britton
Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
