2019 UK pay gap data: Positive progress but we are unsatisfied with the pace of change

EY UK Pay Gap Report 2019

We are pleased to set out EY’s 2019 UK pay gap report, including gender pay gap data in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

Our report also includes partner data and our ethnicity pay gap figures which we have reported in line with the ongoing government consultation around this data.

As part of our commitment to promote transparency and constantly push ourselves to do better, we have also disclosed our employee disability and sexual orientation pay gap data for the first time, with the recognition that we need to improve the rates of those declaring these demographics.

Our 2019 data: we’re encouraged by positive movement but unsatisfied by the pace of change

Overall, whilst we are moving in the right direction, we are unsatisfied with the pace of change, and are continuing to focus on increasing representation across all levels in the firm. We’ve put in place a new D&I Strategy this year which aims to radically accelerate our progress. More information on our Strategy can be found in the pay gap report.

• Our gender and ethnicity mean pay gaps for the whole firm (including Partners) have improved
• Our statutory mean pay gap figures (employee only excluding Partners) have also improved
• We previously expected fluctuations in some of our year-on-year pay gap trends, and this has played out in the widening of most of our median pay gaps

“We have built a strong reputation in the market for the action we are taking to reduce race inequality, improve social mobility in the profession and remove barriers for people with disabilities or neurodiversity. We are regularly recognised as a top employer for women, working families and the LGBT+ community,” says Steve Varley, EY UK Chairman.

Our actions

We are confident the long-term trajectory of all our pay gaps will be downwards, given the actions we are taking. These include:

• setting in-year targets to improve the representation of women and ethnic minority Partners
• doubling our investment in targeted talent programmes for our BME and female talent, including Future Leaders Programme, Navigator and Accelerate@EY
• an accelerated focus on developing a culture of greater equality, driven by actively inclusive behaviours
• increasing the pace of change by executing our D&I strategy with as much focus as any key commercial imperative.

Download our full UK Pay Gap Report for 2019