We have taken steps to reduce our gender pay gap. As of 31 March 2025, the median gender pay gap, which compares the midpoint hourly pay rate for male and female employees, has continued to reduce year on year. There is currently a negative pay gap of -4.37% indicating that the median hourly rate for female employees is higher than that for male employees.

The gender split across the company remains on a similar trend as per the previous reporting period. While females represent 51.5% of the Wolverhampton city population, they account for 37.7% of the workforce. This remains above the company’s target of 35% but slightly below the wider local population profile.

Female representation among the highest paid employees has increased slightly to 35.14% which is up from 34.21% in 2023 – 2024. This change reflects a reduction in the overall headcount rather than an increase in the number of female top earners. The number of employees remains at 13 and below the target of 45% (17 employees).

There's always room for improvement in how we celebrate and respect differences. Here's what we have planned as we look ahead:

• promote learning opportunities to colleagues on our revised HR policies, aligned to new ways of working so employees (where job role allows) are empowered to work flexibly, which will in turn support gender equality
• continue to promote equality, diversity and inclusion across Wolverhampton Homes through a variety of channels
• deliver on our priorities and key initiatives as set out in our EDI action plan
• continued use of the mentoring scheme to support staff opportunities for development and promotion
• review further collaboration opportunities with customers and partners in the city
  
  

Reducing the ethnicity pay gap

Our ethnic minority colleagues represent 25.78% of the workforce, which takes us just beneath our target of 26%. This reduction reflects a higher number of leavers than new starters during the reporting period. 

A contributing factor to the ethnicity pay gap remains the lower representation of ethnic minority employees in senior roles.

The percentage of the top 5% of ethnic minority earners is above our target of 14% for the second consecutive year at 16.22%.

Actions to address pay gaps and workforce representation

Strengthen talent pipelines into higher paid roles – the report indicates that pay gaps are influenced by representation in senior and higher paid roles, particularly for ethnic minority employees, and to a lesser extent, women. WH will:

• Continue to develop internal talent pipelines for progression into senior and specialist roles.
• Provide targeted development pathways for under-represented groups aligned to existing learning and development activity.

Focus recruitment activity on under-represented groups – the recruitment trends show that male applicants outnumbered female applicated during the period linked to an increase in trades-based roles and that appointments from ethnic minority backgrounds broadly reflect workforce representation but not city demographics. WH will:

• Review the attraction strategies for roles with persistently gender imbalanced applicant pools.
• Using inclusive recruitment practices and outreach, broaden diversity particularly in hard to fill roles.

Sustain and monitor progression outcomes – the report indicates improvement in promotion outcomes for ethnic minority employees, with 27.3% of promotions secured by employees from ethnic minority backgrounds. WH will:

• Continue to monitor promotion data annually to ensure progress is sustained.
• Review progression routes to ensure they remain transparent and accessible to all employees across the organisation.

Maintain regular pay gap monitoring and analysis – the report demonstrates year on year improvement in both mean and median gender and ethnicity pay gaps. WH will:

• Continue to analyse pay gaps alongside workforce composition data.
• Use internal and external benchmarks to track progress, particularly where external comparison is limited for ethnicity pay gap reporting.

Where we are underrepresented amongst our colleagues, we will always state that applications from that group are welcomed when we advertise jobs.