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View full libraryThis Gender Equality Action Plan provides a practical framework for identifying gender equality issues, setting measurable actions and monitoring progress across recruitment, pay, progression, development, flexible working, workplace culture and employee support. It can be used by organisations of any size and adapted to reflect their workforce, data and priorities.
Use this action plan to:
If you are managing equal opportunities at work, the toolkit brings together practical HR templates covering standards, application, support, concerns and review.
This template brings together the key information, sections and considerations you need to create a clear, comprehensive and professional HR document. Preview the document below.
Purpose
This Gender Equality Action Plan sets out the actions [Company] will take to understand and improve gender equality across the organisation. It is intended to provide a practical framework for identifying issues, agreeing priorities, implementing actions and measuring progress.
The plan should be based on the organisation's own workforce data and circumstances. It should not be assumed that differences in workforce outcomes are caused by discrimination without appropriate investigation and evidence.
Scope
This plan applies to [Company] and covers employees and, where relevant, recruitment applicants and other workers.
The plan may be used alongside the organisation's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, Gender Pay Gap Report, Menopause Policy, Flexible Working Policy, Recruitment Policy, Pay Policy and other relevant people policies.
Plan period
| Organisation | [Company] |
| Plan period | [Start date] to [End date] |
| Plan owner | [Name / Job Title] |
| Senior sponsor | [Name / Job Title] |
| Date approved | [Date] |
| Next formal review | [Date] |
Current position
Workforce profile
| Measure | Current position | Previous position | Comment / analysis |
| Total workforce by sex | |||
| Representation in senior leadership | |||
| Representation in management | |||
| Representation by department / function | |||
| Representation by job level / grade | |||
| Full-time / part-time distribution |
Pay and reward
| Measure | Current position | Previous position | Analysis / explanation |
| Mean gender pay gap | |||
| Median gender pay gap | |||
| Mean bonus gap |
You've seen 30% of how the Gender Equality Action Plan template is structured. Get the complete editable template instantly and customise it for your organisation.
This Gender Equality Action Plan provides employers with a structured way to move from identifying gender equality issues to taking measurable action. It can be used as a standalone equality initiative or alongside a wider equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, gender pay gap analysis or people plan.
The action plan encourages employers to examine relevant workforce data, including gender representation, recruitment, turnover, promotion, development, pay and access to flexible working. Looking at the data by job level, department or other relevant workforce groups can help identify where differences or potential barriers exist.
Not every organisation will experience the same gender equality issues. The plan therefore provides space to identify the specific issues affecting the organisation and consider possible causes rather than assuming that a particular action will work in every workplace.
Actions can cover recruitment and selection, job design, flexible working, pay transparency, career development, mentoring, promotion, retention, workplace culture and support for employees experiencing menopause. The Government's current evidence-informed action framework provides a useful source of potential actions for employers.
Each action should have an owner, timescale and appropriate measure of progress. Measures might include representation, recruitment outcomes, promotion rates, retention, participation in development, employee feedback or changes in gender pay gap data.
The plan should be reviewed regularly to assess whether actions have been implemented and whether they are producing the intended results. Where an action is ineffective, the organisation should consider adapting it rather than simply recording completion as success.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Gender Equality Action Plan should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
Understand the common mistakes to avoid when using this HR template, helping you reduce risk, prevent unnecessary costs and ensure the process is handled correctly.
For most employers, a general gender equality action plan is not currently a standalone statutory requirement. However, employers with 250 or more employees must report gender pay gap information, and Government guidance currently states that gender equality action plans are voluntary with mandatory publication expected from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation.
No. Although the current Government framework focuses on reducing the gender pay gap and supporting employees experiencing menopause, a broader organisational action plan can also cover recruitment, representation, promotion, development, retention, flexible working, workplace culture and sexual harassment prevention.
Equal pay concerns whether men and women receive equal contractual terms for equal work. The gender pay gap compares average pay between men and women across an organisation and can be influenced by factors such as workforce composition, occupational segregation and the distribution of men and women across different levels of seniority.
No. The template can be used by employers of any size as a voluntary framework for improving gender equality. Employers with 250 or more employees have additional gender pay gap reporting obligations and are subject to the developing statutory framework for equality action plans.
Each action should have a relevant measure rather than simply recording whether the action was completed. Depending on the objective, measures could include recruitment and promotion rates, representation at different levels, participation in development, retention, flexible working uptake, employee feedback or changes in gender pay gap data.
HRDocBox templates are designed specifically for UK employers and combine practical HR processes with relevant UK employment law, Government guidance and workplace best practice. They provide a structured starting point that can be customised, monitored and reviewed rather than relying on an unstructured AI-generated document.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Gender Equality Action Plan template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing equal opportunities HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
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