What Employer Action Plans Mean for You
The government is introducing new measures to improve workplace gender equality and ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive at work. As part of the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with 250 or more employees now have the option to produce and publish a voluntary Action Plan alongside their gender pay gap data. These will become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation.
Key changes
Specifically, action plans will show the practical steps your employer is taking to:
- Address your organisation’s gender pay gap
- Support employees experiencing menopause
To create their Action Plans, eligible employers will choose at least two actions from a list of 18 evidence-informed actions provided by the government. Your employer should tailor their plan to address the specific needs of your workplace.
What this means for you
Your employer should follow a structured process to ensure their plan makes a real difference. We are encouraging them to first evaluate the specific issues within your organisation, select the most effective actions, and write a supporting narrative that explains their goals.
Once published, your employer is expected to track the outcomes of their actions and regularly review their action plan. This means you will be able to see the commitments your organisation is making, track their progress, and hold them accountable for improving workplace equality.
Territorial extent
This measure, once mandatory, will mirror the territorial extent of existing gender pay gap reporting requirements. It will apply to large private sector employers in England, Scotland and Wales; as well as English and specific cross-border public authorities.
More information
Creating an action plan: guidance for employersopens www.gov.uk in a new tab
Action guidance pagesopens www.gov.uk in a new tab, for the 18 individual actions
Additional guidance, including for small employers, on measures to support employees experiencing menopause in the workplace: Managing the menopause - Menopause at work - Acasopens www.acas.org.uk in a new tab
You can also search the gender pay gap serviceopens gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk in a new tab to see your employer’s gender pay gap data and compare it with other organisations.
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