Why your next gender equality action plan needs a new approach
Presenting your pay gap action plan to the board is stressful, and for many of you, it's where the internal tension really arises. Why? Because you've been tasked with creating a document that has to satisfy multiple people at once, and the balancing act is about to get harder. The new mandatory rules about what must be included in your gender equality action plans raises the stakes.
A strong gender equality action plan has to do a lot of things at the same time. It needs to:
- Look ambitious enough to satisfy the board's desire to show that real work is being done
- Avoid initiatives that are too impactful, which could threaten to disrupt the status quo
- Comply with the new regulations, including menopause actions, or risk external consequences
- Tell the story behind your pay gap, because showing the data alone is no longer enough
- Satisfy employee and external curiosity about your data and intended actions, which means more questions, more attention and tougher judgements
- Balance ambition with practical reality, without overpromising or under-delivering
Sound familiar?
With this many moving parts, creating an effective action plan can be a thankless task. All that push and pull often leaves organisations with watered-down plans and frustrated HR and DEI teams, not to mention disgruntled employees, partners and disengaged stakeholders and investors. I know this because I hear variations of these problems time and time again when speaking with organisations.
Right now though, I'm seeing a new level of curiosity and a little nervousness, because of the mandatory reporting rules. That means extra attention will be paid to what you choose to share in your next pay gap report.
For some of you, this will be the first time you attach a narrative and an action plan. For others, it will be the first time you've had government guidance on the absolute minimum expected of you. Either way, what you do now will need to look different from what you've done in the past.
A new requirement calls for a new approach.
On November 24th, I'm hosting an online session for organisations that feel the urgency around preparing for this change. I'll be sharing what the new rules mean for your organisation and the best way to address them going forward.
You'll walk away with a clear strategies to start creating your first gender equality action plan.