The gender pay gap is the difference in average pay between the men and women in your workforce.
It is different to equal pay, which means you must pay men and women the same for equal or similar work.
If you are an employer in the private or voluntary sectors with 250 or more employees, you must publish your gender pay gap data every year. This also applies to specified public-sector employers in England (and a limited number of non-devolved bodies).
This guidance relates to public bodies in England and Great Britain’s private and voluntary bodies only. Find out about the specific duties in Scotland and the specific duties in Wales.
Steps to reporting your gender pay gap
Follow these three steps to calculate and publish your organisation’s gender pay gap information:
Deadlines for reporting your gender pay gap data
Gender pay gap calculations are based on employer payroll data from a specific date each year, known as the ‘snapshot date’. You must publish your data every year within 12 months of the relevant snapshot date:
- For specified public-sector employers, the snapshot date is 31 March each year. The deadline for reporting and publishing your gender pay gap information is 30 March of the following year.
- For private and voluntary sector employers, the snapshot date is 5 April each year. You must publish your gender pay gap information and written statement by 4 April of the following year.
Report your gender pay gap information on the government’s gender pay gap service.
Further information
Read the Acas and GEO guidance on managing gender pay reporting.
Visit the government gender pay gap reporting website.
Read our policy for enforcing the gender pay gap regulations.
Take a look at our pay gaps research and strategy for reducing pay gaps in Britain.
We have joined with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to create a practical toolkit to support organisations take action in closing their gender pay gap.
Last updated: 01 Apr 2022