BU is committed to providing equal pay for work of equal value for all our employees. Our pay and grading structure, along with the rigorous use of the analytical Hay job evaluation methodology, ensures that we meet this commitment. We publish gender pay gap data annually and conduct bi-annual equal pay reviews to monitor our compliance and address any unjustified inequalities in pay.

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Karen Parker, HR Director

We’re dedicated to fostering an inclusive and fair environment. Data helps us to develop effective strategies to reduce, and ultimately close, pay gaps. I confirm that the data and narrative on this page is accurate.

The difference between equal pay and gender pay gap reporting

It’s important to understand the difference between equal pay and pay gap reporting. Equal pay means that individuals performing work of equal value are paid the same, regardless of gender or other characteristics. This is a legal requirement and a cornerstone of our commitment to fairness.

On the other hand, pay gap reporting looks at the broader picture; it examines whether there are any discrepancies in average pay across the institution, which can reveal deeper, structural issues such as underrepresentation of certain groups in senior roles. Both are essential to identifying and addressing inequality.

Equal pay review

Since 2014, we have conducted a biennial equal pay review. An equal pay review is a thorough analysis of pay designed to identify any pay inequalities based on factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, or different contractual arrangements.

In addition to identifying pay disparities, these reviews help us understand where there may be structural issues, such as the underrepresentation of certain groups in senior roles, that contribute to wider pay gaps. By addressing both individual inequalities and broader systemic challenges, we strive to create a workplace where everyone is valued and rewarded fairly for their contributions.

Download our Equal Pay Review 2022 (pdf, 454kb)

Gender pay gap

Achieving gender equality and parity is a priority at BU and aligns with our ambition to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We continue to deliver our gender pay gap action plan and institutional and departmental Athena Swan action plans to promote gender equality and inclusion.

Gender pay gap metrics

The gender pay gap is the difference between the average earnings of men and women across an organisation. The six gender pay gap and gender balance metrics that BU must legally report on annually are: 

  • Mean* gender pay gap
  • Median** gender pay gap
  • The proportion of men and women receiving bonuses in the twelve months preceding the relevant date
  • The proportion of men and women in each salary quartile
  • Mean bonus gender pay gap, based on bonuses received in the twelve months preceding the relevant date
  • Median bonus gender pay gap, based on bonuses received in the twelve months preceding the relevant date.

*The mean is calculated by summing the hourly rates of each employee and then dividing by the number of employees. **The median is the middle value when all hourly rates are ranked from smallest to largest.

All data reported is at 31 March annually. Our 31 March 2024 data is called Reporting Year 2024/25 on GOV.UK

Latest gender pay gap results overview

Our 2024 gender pay gap and bonus gap are at their lowest levels since we started reporting in 2017, showing steady progress.

In 2024, the mean gender pay gap is 13.4% – a reduction of 1.5% versus 2023. This improvement reflects that our policies and actions are moving us in the right direction, but we recognise that there is more to do. Addressing and closing the gender pay gap is complex and takes time, and small, annual reductions of around 1% are typical across the higher education sector.

Overall, our gender pay gap reflects the lower representation of women in senior roles and fewer men in junior roles. The 2024 review positively reflects a noticeable increase in the proportion of women in the upper quartile and an improved gender balance in the bottom quartile of BU. However, there’s still work to do to achieve a balanced distribution across all work levels and ultimately close the gap.

Mean gender pay gap

13.4%
in 2024
14.9%
in 2023

Median gender pay gap

13.7%
in 2024
15.8%
in 2023

Percentage of women receiving a bonus

7.7%
in 2024
4.8%
in 2023

Percentage of women in the top pay quartile

47.7%
in 2024
46.3%
in 2023

Detailed gender pay gap results – 2017 to 2024

Gender pay gap action plan overview

Actions speak louder than words and we continue to work on range of initiatives to reduce our gender pay gap, fostering a more inclusive and diverse workplace:

Attracting female talent and mitigating bias in the hiring process

To draw from the widest talent pool and create fairer outcomes, we're working to make roles as attractive as possible to all candidates. Changes in our recruitment processes, such as enhancing job advert language and anonymising applications, can have a significant impact on who applies and is selected. By focusing on inclusion we improve both the candidate experience and our ability to select the best talent for the role.

  • We showcase flexibility in our job adverts and set the expectation that interview panels will have an appropriate gender mix
  • We have implemented a new e-recruitment system, Eploy, which has inbuilt functionality to help craft more engaging, inclusive and gender-neutral job adverts and enable anonymisation of applications for shortlisting.

Targeted investment in women’s career development

Research consistently shows that women face distinct barriers in the workplace. Investing in resources to help develop women leaders helps level the playing field, creates a stronger leadership pipeline and supports a more inclusive and equitable work environment for everyone.

  • In the academic year 2023/24, we supported 28 aspiring women leaders through the Advance HE Aurora leadership programme; 30% have already been promoted or moved to a new role
  • We have also run ‘Pay Progression and Promotion Processes’ women-only workshops to help participants increase application success, and our Women’s Academic Network (WAN) has delivered an annual calendar of writing retreats for women to support research delivery
  • Since 2017, more women are applying for promotion and the percentage of women applicants promoted is now slightly higher compared to men. The percentage of women in the top quartile of BU has increased during this time by 5%, as of January 2024.

Fostering an inclusive environment and flexible working culture where women can thrive

  • BU ‘Ways of Working’ has supported the normalisation of flexible working, with practical tools for managers. We actively encourage and support flexible working and job-share arrangements, including annualised hours and term-time hours. Enhanced new functionality within our HR and payroll system will allow us to capture and analyse flexible working requests to measure the impact of actions
  • Our ever-growing staff networks provide peer support, foster a sense of wellbeing and help inform and enhance our health and wellbeing support – for example, the development of an online menopause hub with line manager guidance and training, and paid carers leave
  • We are also providing enhanced support for those returning from family leave, including coaching, one semester of academic study leave, and reduced teaching loads (80%) for the first year.

Championing gender equality and driving progress at a departmental/faculty level

Staff from the Department of Media Production celebrate their Athena SWAN Bronze Award in 2018

In addition to our ongoing commitment to Athena Swan at an institutional level, six departments hold a local Athena Swan award, evidencing their ongoing commitment to gender equity and inclusion. This includes the:

  • Department of Computing & Informatics
  • Department of Psychology
  • Department of Design & Engineering
  • Department of Media Production
  • Department of Archaeology & Anthropology
  • Department of Life & Environmental Sciences.