Gender pay gap action plans – what does meaningful action look like?

In this episode, I chat with Gillie Fairbrother, Global Responsible Business Officer at Davies, about what a gender pay gap action plan actually looks like in practice — and why employers really do need to get on with it.

She oversees ESG at Davies, a global professional services and technology business, and brings a really grounded, commercial perspective to everything she discusses.

Employers with 250 or more staff are being encouraged to explain what they are actually doing to close their gender pay gap and support employees experiencing menopause. We discuss what meaningful action looks like in practice — and how organisations can finally move beyond just publishing the numbers.

For Gillie, the timing really matters. She told me it is about asking harder questions and getting much more specific about what will actually change things.

As she put it in our chat, “People will no longer be able to get away with saying things like, ‘we will consider’ and ‘we aim to’. It’s now about: how are you going to do it, and how is that going to impact?”

Why gender pay gap action plans matter for employers, investors and clients

She makes the point that many employers have been publishing gender pay gap figures for years — but just putting the numbers out there is no longer enough. The real question, she said, is whether leaders actually understand what is behind those figures and are willing to act on them.

In her words, “I think what the government is looking for are those key drivers that explain the gender pay gap. What do these numbers really mean, and why are they where they are?”

She also points to the commercial pressure building here, particularly from clients, investors, and ESG assessors. As she put it, this is not just the right thing to do anymore — it is becoming a business issue.

In short, gender pay gap reporting is showing up everywhere organisations are assessed — and people are starting to notice.

What a stronger gender pay gap action plan should look like

She is pretty direct about this: vague promises and one-off initiatives won’t cut it. Companies need to take their data seriously, own the decisions and follow through.

She tells me she would love to see businesses use this moment to properly understand where the issues actually sit — whether that is in specific teams, grades or divisions — and then respond in a much more targeted way.

She’s clear on this point: “So instead of just pumping out the numbers, it’s about understanding those numbers and then making really strategic decisions about how you might change.”

Menopause, management and workplace culture

We also get into menopause support, and Gillie is pretty passionate about this one. It should not be a niche or awkward topic — and organisations need to be bring managers and leaders into these conversations, not just women.

“How can we upskill team leaders and managers, including male managers, so they feel less frightened of this topic?” And she made a great point — hybrid working has already proved that organisations can adapt when people need flexibility.

“We know it works, so why should it be any different here?”

Why gender pay gap action is everyone’s job

Something that kept coming up in our conversation was the idea that this work cannot just live in one team or one report. Gillie is really clear on it: you do not get culture change unless more people feel like it is their problem to solve.

As she explained it to me, “We don’t want to be a business that has a sustainability team or a business that has a culture team working over here on a culture initiative. We want to be a diversely cultured business that is sustainable.”

She told me that the same thinking applies directly to gender pay gap action. This is not just an HR issue. It is for leaders, managers, and, honestly, anyone who wants to play a part in shaping a fairer workplace.

Her challenge to everyone listening: “Even if you don’t think this is your job, is there some way you could make an impact?”