Gender Pay Equality

From a statutory reporting perspective, Progress Housing Association Ltd’s gender pay gap report for 2025 reveals a mean pay gap of 6.7%, (which is lower than the 8.2% in 2024), and a median pay gap of 10.9%, which is unchanged from the previous year.

Since 2024, we have seen an increase in females within the upper middle quartile.There remains a higher proportion of females in the lower and lower middle quartiles.

We do not pay bonuses except for recognition payments and long service awards. So, the typically small numbers of individuals who receive payments that fall within the bonus calculation can lead to larger variances than you would see in an organisation with performance-related pay.

Upper quartile

• Male 68.1%
• Female 31.9%

Upper middle quartile

• Male 53.2%
• Female 46.8%

Lower middle quartile

• Male 32.4%
• Female 67.6%

Lower quartile

• Male 45.8%
• Female 54.2%

Mean bonus gap: -27.2% in 2025 (down from 29.3% in 2024) 

Median bonus gap: -80.1% in 2025 (down from 25.9% in 2024)

Percentage receiving a bonus in 2025

• Male 6.5%
• Female 9.1%

We pay attention to the gender pay gap across the entire Group beyond the legal obligation to report it.

The statutory report only shows a snapshot of the pay gap at a certain point in time, but we need to look at the bigger picture and the underlying causes of the gap.

• the mean pay gap for the whole Group is 4.2%, significant decrease on the previous year
• the median pay gap is 13.5%, down from 15% in 2024
• the Group has decreased by 2.7% in the number of employees
• the number of male colleagues has decreased by 3.7% and and the number of female employees has decreased by 1.9%
• women comprise 55% of the employees (417), while men comprise 45% (336)

The pay gap is influenced by the roles and salaries of the new employees, as well as any internal employee changes and departures within this reporting period.

Organisations must report the percentage of men and women in each pay quartile as part of the gender pay reporting requirements. This is done by ranking the full-pay relevant employees from the highest to the lowest paid and splitting them into 4 equal groups (quartiles).

Then, the proportion of men and women in each group is calculated. The data below shows the number of men and women in each quartile on 5 April 2025. The main factors that affect the gender pay gap this year are:

• more men in the upper and upper middle quartiles
• more women in the lower and lower middle quartiles

Upper quartile
There are 54.8% males and 45.2% females represented in this quartile.

Upper middle quartile
There are 56.4% males and 43.6% females represented in this quartile.

Lower middle quartile
There are 30.3% males and 69.7% females represented in this quartile.

Lower quartile
There are 37% males and 63% females represented in this quartile.

The bonus gap between men and women in the Group has changed significantly in this reporting period. The mean bonus gap is now -9.1%, compared to 33.3% in 2024. 72 employees received a bonus in 2025, 73 employees received a bonus in 2024.The median bonus gap in 2025 is -80%, compared to 41.2% in 2024. The Group does not usually pay bonuses, so the small number of bonus recipients can cause large fluctuations in the bonus gap, unlike an organisation with performance-based pay.

• 10.9% (47) of females receiving a bonus in 2025
• 7.2% (25) of males receiving a bonus in 2025

The bonus gap for the Group is -£54 for the mean and -£222 for the median. The bonus calculation includes one-off financial recognition payments and long service awards. This difference is due to more women receiving long service awards in this year. The Group has to show the number of men and women receiving bonuses in the reporting period and the mean and median gender pay gaps in bonus payments. The Group’s numbers may change a lot because it does not have a regular bonus scheme, and the bonus payments include awards for long service and special recognition.

Whilst males and females are paid the same for the same roles in line with our grading structure, individuals will move between two incremental points or scales within our grading structure, depending on the time in the role and as part of the annual pay review process. As a result, depending on when an individual starts in a position, they may find themselves at a higher or lower incremental point than their male and female peers in the same role. As pay is connected to the individual’s time in a grade, our pay gap may be influenced by the number of females or males at the incremental entry point of each grade versus the number at the higher incremental point each year.

Lower quartile: Average hourly pay

• Male £14.07
• Female £14.23

Lower middle quartile: Average hourly pay

• Male £16.60
• Female £16.47

Upper middle quartile: Average hourly pay

• Male £19.37
• Female £19.37

Upper quartile: Average hourly pay

• Male £27.52
• Female £31.39

As part of our ongoing commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, our EDI Strategy sets out a clear vision for creating an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, regardless of gender or background.

The EDI Strategy is underpinned by a robust operational plan that translates our strategic goals into tangible actions. This includes targeted initiatives to improve representation, enhance inclusive recruitment practices, and support career progression for underrepresented groups. These efforts are closely monitored and regularly reviewed to ensure accountability and continuous
improvement.

Our four colleague networks, Pride in Progress, CarersTogether, Meno Movers and Roots, continue to play a vital role in fostering connection, encouraging the sharing of lived experiences, and empowering colleagues to confidently lead conversations around equality, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

In the last twelve months, two cohorts have attended our Management Development Programme, aimed at equipping current and aspiring managers with the skills, confidence, and inclusive mindset needed to lead effectively in a diverse workplace.

Thirteen apprentices joined us in September 2025 within Property Services, trades and the Governance Team. Applications were encouraged from underrepresented groups and there was significant interest and engagement from our tenants, supporting our social value, community impact and EDI aims.

Regular employee engagement surveys will continue to take place; our 2025 survey had a 70% response rate and an employee engagement index score of 84%. Listening to our colleagues and taking action where required, we strive to make this an even better place to work for all our colleagues.

We will continue to review our recruitment practices, ensuring they are values-based; the candidate’s values, behaviours and attitudes align with the values, culture and expectations of your workplace. Interview questions are now regularly provided to candidates ahead of their interview.

We are now in the fifth year of the innovative Project SEARCH programme, providing internship opportunities for people with autism or those with learning disabilities. Each placement aims to provide valuable work experience and opportunities to develop their skills and gain confidence in their abilities.

We have launched a new collection of EDI elearning modules, equipping colleagues with the knowledge and tools to challenge inequality and foster belonging.

2026 will mark the relaunch of our Leadership Development Programme, the refreshed programme reaffirms our commitment to nurturing inclusive and effective leadership across the organisation.

Whilst ethnicity reporting is not currently mandatory, guidance was provided on how to report ethnicity pay in April 2023. Ethnicity pay reporting: guidance for employers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Group’s ethnicity pay report for the reporting period is below. It followed the same method and data set as the gender pay gap report.

The Group has 23 employees who have shared that they come from ethnically diverse backgrounds, which is 4.1% of the workforce. The average pay gap between the mean and median is -4.9% and -14.1%.

The number of employees who have not shared their status has decreased. We do not hold data for 25.9% of employees, so we will actively seek opportunities to increase the data.

We remain extremely committed to our EDI principles which help us to be an attractive and fair employer. We will continue to encourage people from a range of ethnicities to work with us and keep improving representation across the organisation.

With a sample size of 4.1% of the workforce, small changes can significantly impact the annual figures.

Collecting, analysing and publishing data on ethnicity pay is only the first step in addressing the pay disparities and promoting equality and diversity in the Group. It is important to use this data to identify the areas where the Group can be more inclusive and diverse and take actions that will make a positive difference.

• 3.6% Upper quartile
• 6.5% Upper middle quartile
• 4.3% Lower middle quartile
• 2.1% Lower quartile