Our commitment to inclusion: Progress over the past year
It has been one year since we launched our inclusive growth strategy, which focused on three priorities: strengthening leadership accountability, creating opportunity for all and building a workforce that is representative of the clients and communities we serve. Together, these priorities are designed to translate inclusion into measurable business outcomes through clear governance, consistent delivery, and greater accountability.
Over the past year, we have focused on building the foundations to deliver this strategy. We have further integrated our inclusion priorities into our business through the re-launch of our Partner Diversity Council, now comprised of our 14 People Network Partner Sponsors and chaired by our Chief People Officer (CPO), Phillippa O’Connor. It is designed to embed two-way dialogue between our colleague communities and our Executive Committee (ExCo) and to ensure diverse voices are considered in leadership decision-making. We’ve also invested in improving access to opportunity by launching a firmwide sponsorship framework, progressing our work to better support parents and carers, and taking forward actions to improve the experience of colleagues with disabilities, neurodivergence, and long-term health conditions.
Additionally, this year marked the first year of our 2030 partner diversity targets. We implemented a number of reporting and accountability changes into our Lines of Services to help position us to sustainably progress against those targets year on year, including introducing a new Inclusion KPI for FY27. This quantitative measure will form part of the annual performance process for Business Unit Leaders and is designed to strengthen accountability for delivering our Inclusive Growth ambitions. The KPI brings together three measures: the diversity of senior hiring, proportionality of promotion outcomes relative to the diversity of each Business Unit, and inclusion and belonging scores. As the owners of the firm, equity Partners represent our most senior leadership population. We believe this provides a transparent and meaningful way to measure progress and hold ourselves accountable for improving representation at the highest levels of the organisation.
This year, 19% of promotions to Partner were from an ethnic minority background, up from 15% last year. However, only 26% of promotions to Partner were women, which means we will have to accelerate our progress in the next few years to achieve our goals.
Creating an inclusive culture continues to be a shared responsibility across the firm. Throughout the year, our ExCo and senior leaders actively supported our People Networks and key inclusion events, reinforcing the importance of inclusive leadership and visible sponsorship.
Our progress continues to be recognised externally. During the year, PwC was named one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality, ranked a top 25 employer in the Social Mobility Employer Index, recognised as a Beacon Employer in the Parental Fog Index, and received recognition through the Black Excellence Awards.
While we are encouraged by the progress we have made, we recognise there is more to do. As we move into the second year of our Inclusive Growth Strategy, we remain focused on strengthening accountability, removing barriers to opportunity, and accelerating progress towards our 2030 ambitions.
Pay gap overview
We have reported our gender pay gap for more than a decade and our ethnicity pay gap for ten years. We have also voluntarily reported our disability and socio-economic background pay gaps since 2021, and our sexual orientation pay gap since 2022. We are proud of the high levels of voluntary disclosure across our workforce, enabling us to take a robust, evidence-based approach to understanding colleagues' experiences and measuring progress over time.
Our pay gaps are an indication of the representation of different demographic groups across grades. Increasing diversity at senior levels remains fundamental to closing them over time.
It is important to note that pay gaps are different from equal pay. Pay gap reporting measures the difference in average earnings between groups across the organisation and is primarily influenced by representation at different levels of seniority. Equal pay is about ensuring people receive equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. We remain committed to this principle and undertake an annual equal pay review, taking corrective action where required.
For our combined Staff and Partners population, we are pleased to report continued progress, with reductions in the mean pay gaps for gender, ethnicity, and disability. Mean pay gaps for sexual orientation and socio-economic background increased marginally by 0.6 and 1.4 percentage points respectively. Our median pay gaps also improved for gender, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic background, with ethnicity being the only characteristic to increase slightly.
Looking at our Staff population only, the picture is broadly positive, though we recognise we still have a way to go. Mean pay gaps decreased for gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation and increased slightly for socio-economic background (0.6 percentage points), while median pay gaps improved across all five diversity characteristics. The disability mean pay gap increased by 1.6 percentage points, despite the median disability pay gap reducing by 0.7 percentage points. This indicates that while pay outcomes improved for colleagues around the middle of the organisation, lack of representation at the highest-paid levels continues to influence the overall average.
Actions we’re taking forward to advance inclusion
Closing diversity pay gaps requires more than action on pay alone. Pay gaps are influenced by who joins the firm, who progresses, who stays, and whether everyone has equitable access to opportunity throughout their career. This means inclusion, representation, and pay equity are intrinsically linked, and meaningful progress depends on taking a holistic approach.
Many of the actions outlined below have been embedded across PwC for a number of years and continue to support colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds and protected characteristic groups, not only women or those experiencing menopause. Together, they help create a more inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and progress.
We have also introduced several new actions that reflect the next phase of our Inclusive Growth Strategy. These focus on strengthening accountability, increasing transparency, improving the consistency of promotion and progression processes and equipping leaders and managers to better support colleagues at key moments in their careers. While presented within our Gender Action Plan and Menopause Action Plan, these actions form part of our broader ambition to build a more inclusive workplace and improve outcomes for all.
In a period of rapid change and growing complexity, our commitment to inclusion remains unwavering. We are focused on attracting and retaining diverse talent, building teams that reflect the breadth of the clients we serve, and fostering an inclusive culture where everyone can fulfil their potential. This enables our people to build trust and help solve important challenges in society.
Gender Action and Menopause Action Plans
As part of this report, we are pleased to share our Gender Action and Menopause Action plans voluntarily this year, reflecting our commitment to transparency, accountability and continued progress. These plans set out the steps we are taking to strengthen accountability, improve experiences, and support a more inclusive workplace for women and colleagues affected by menopause, while also addressing diversity gaps across the firm. PwC’s approach is not a new or standalone initiative; it builds on a long-standing commitment to wellbeing, inclusion and enabling people to stay well, progress their careers, and perform at their best.
- Recruitment
- Development and promotion
- Building diversity
- Increasing transparency
- Supporting employees experiencing menopause
Recruitment
- Make job descriptions inclusive (embedded)
We continue to review our role descriptions to make sure they are clear, accessible, and inclusive. This includes using inclusive wording in job adverts, signposting benefits and support available and focusing on the skills, experience and behaviours needed for the role. - Encourage applications from a range of candidates (embedded)
We use a range of attraction channels and inclusive recruitment practices to help reach diverse talent. For example, our job adverts and attraction materials highlight our culture, benefits and support available, helping candidates from different backgrounds see themselves building a career with us. - Reduce unconscious bias in CV screening (embedded)
We have embedded consistent screening approaches to help reduce the impact of bias in early-stage recruitment decisions. This includes assessing candidates against role requirements and applying consistent shortlisting criteria, so decisions are based on evidence of skills, experience and behaviours. - Use fair and structured interview techniques (embedded)
We use structured interview approaches, so candidates are assessed consistently and fairly. For example, hiring teams use agreed role-based questions and evidence-led assessment criteria to focus on skills, behaviours and experience, supporting more objective decision-making. - Advertise leave policies in job adverts (embedded)
We make information about our leave policies visible during recruitment, so candidates understand the support available from the outset. For example, job adverts signpost our benefits site, including support for maternity, paternity, carers and other employee lifecycle events. - Advertise working arrangements in job adverts (embedded)
We provide information about working arrangements during the recruitment process where possible, helping candidates understand the flexibility available. This includes highlighting our approach to hybrid working, empowered flexibility and, where relevant, special working arrangements so candidates can make informed decisions about whether a role is right for them.
Development and promotion
- Automatically consider eligible employees for promotion (new)
We are exploring ways to make promotion processes more consistent and transparent by ensuring eligible colleagues are actively considered. This includes looking at how promotion readiness is discussed through talent and performance conversations, helping reduce reliance on self-nomination and supporting fairer access to progression opportunities. - Encourage employee development through actionable steps (in progress)
We encourage colleagues and career coaches to have regular, practical development conversations focused on clear actions, feedback and support. For example, developmental feedback, personal development plans and coaching conversations help individuals understand what is needed to progress and access opportunities to build their skills and experience. Offer mentoring, sponsorship and other development programmes (embedded)
We continue to provide mentoring, sponsorship and targeted development opportunities to support progression, particularly for underrepresented groups. Examples include central sponsorship guidance and toolkits, targeted support for Senior Manager and Director progression, and development programmes that help colleagues build networks, access guidance and increase visibility.
Building diversity
- Set targets to improve gender representation (embedded)
We have set clear representation targets to help focus leadership attention and drive measurable progress over time. This includes our refreshed FY30 targets, which support accountability and help us track whether our actions are improving representation at senior levels.
Increasing transparency
- Increase transparency for pay, promotion and rewards (new)
We are taking steps to improve transparency around pay, promotion and reward processes so colleagues better understand how decisions are made and what is required to progress. This includes work underway to provide clearer guidance and communications on promotion, reward and progression. Enhance and promote flexible working and leave policies (embedded)
We continue to promote flexible working and leave policies that support colleagues to balance work with personal responsibilities. Examples include hybrid working, empowered flexibility, holiday, maternity and paternity leave, carers support and special working arrangements.
Supporting employees experiencing menopause
- Train managers to support employees (new)
We provide menopause-specific guidance to help career/talent coaches and line managers understand symptoms, respond sensitively, and support constructive conversations. This helps managers signpost colleagues to relevant resources, consider practical adjustments and create a working environment where colleagues feel able to seek support early. - Offer Occupational Health (OH) advice for employees (embedded)
OH referrals are available where additional workplace advice or recommendations may be helpful. This enables colleagues, line managers, and the People Function to identify practical support that can help colleagues manage symptoms, sustain attendance, and continue performing effectively. - Set up menopause support groups and networks (embedded)
Our Menopause Matters employee resource group provides an active peer support community, with more than 800 members and regular opportunities for connection through virtual cuppas, meet-ups and events. The group helps reduce stigma, share practical information and ensure colleague insight continues to shape the support available across the firm. - Offer workplace adjustments for employees (embedded)
Workplace adjustments are already embedded in our support offering. Colleagues can request desk fans, access free sanitary products in UK offices and use wellbeing rooms where available, while empowered flexibility and hybrid working can help colleagues manage fluctuating symptoms. - Conduct a menopause risk assessment for your workplace (embedded)
We assess workplace impact through a combination of colleague insight, aggregate absence data and engagement with support routes. Menopause is recorded as a specific sickness absence reason in Workday, helping colleagues record absence transparently and enabling the firm to review anonymised trends to identify where further support, education or adjustments may be beneficial. Review policies and procedures to meets the needs of employees (embedded)
Menopause support is embedded within our broader sickness absence, wellbeing, occupational health, flexible working and inclusion frameworks rather than treated as a standalone issue. We continue to review resources, guidance and support routes so they remain responsive to colleague needs and aligned with wider expectations on gender equality, wellbeing and sustainable careers.
We can confirm the data reported is accurate.
Marco Amitrano
Alliance Senior Partner, PwC UK & Middle East
Phillippa O'Connor
Chief People Officer, PwC UK
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