Environment Agency: pay gap 2025
Updated 20 March 2026
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Foreword
The Environment Agency is strengthened by our commitment to inclusion, collaboration, and respect. We strive to ensure different perspectives are valued, and where our work reflects and meets the varying needs of the communities we serve.
Our corporate strategy, EA2030 change for a better environment, represents our collective commitment to protect and enhance the environment while supporting sustainable growth, ensuring people, nature and businesses can prosper together. Delivering on this ambition requires excellence, integrity, and a deep understanding of the communities we serve. Equality, diversity, and inclusion are critical enablers of this mission. We recognise that the environmental challenges we face are complex and require a wide range of perspectives and experiences to develop innovative solutions. As such, we want to ensure we are constantly acting to provide a diverse and inclusive work environment.
This report sets out the Environment Agency’s pay gaps across the characteristics of gender, disability, ethnicity, religion and belief, and sexual orientation. We are proud to have been reporting beyond our statutory requirements since 2017.
In 2024 to 2025, we strengthened our leadership team, with a greater number of women in senior roles than ever before. We have also seen important progress toward greater equity for a range of characteristics in mean pay gaps and mean bonus pay gaps. Improvements have been made in many mean bonus pay gaps, following significant efforts to improve and strengthen our Performance Management processes. We know there is more to do to achieve parity. We are disappointed to have small increases in the mean pay gaps for some characteristics. These do, however, remain small pay gaps, for example when the gender mean pay gap is compared to Defra and the Civil Service.
While our actions have resulted in progress, this report shows that we cannot be complacent. There is still more we must do to close our pay gaps. This report reflects both our current position and our continuing commitment to closing these gaps and fostering a truly inclusive Environment Agency. We are launching a renewed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy in 2026.This will set out clear principles for championing meaningful inclusion and embedding evidence-based action into everyday practice. Through this work, we aim to foster a workplace where everyone can contribute fully to our shared mission and build an Environment Agency that truly reflects and serves the communities of England.
Alan Lovell – Chair
Philip Duffy – Chief Executive
Introduction
In addition to the Environment Agency’s statutory obligation to report on gender, we also publish pay gaps on
- disability
- ethnicity
- religion and belief
- sexual orientation
You can find more detail about our pay gaps in the Environment Agency pay gap reports. It is important to note that changes to statutory pay gap reporting requirements will impact what and how we publish in future reports.
This year’s report includes an updated historical dataset. This update follows a quality assurance process on third party supplier’s analysis, which identified and corrected discrepancies in previously published figures on the bonus pay gaps. The data presented is validated and reflects the most accurate information available.
Understanding the key definitions of a pay gap
A pay gap is the difference between the average pay of one group of people compared to another in the organisation. For example, if the average hourly pay of non-disabled employees at the Environment Agency is higher than the average hourly pay of disabled employees, the difference between those averages is called the disability pay gap. It does not mean that individuals doing the same job are paid differently; it refers to the overall difference in average pay across the 2 groups.
A pay gap is different to equal pay, which is about whether individuals doing equal work or work of equal value receive the same pay. For example, if 2 water resources officers at the Environment Agency - one man and one woman - are doing the same role with the same level of responsibility, they should receive the same pay. If they do not, that is an equal pay issue, not a pay gap.
Only full-pay relevant employees are included in hourly pay gap calculations, whether full-time or part-time employees. ‘Full-pay relevant’ employees refer to people who were paid their usual full wages during the reporting period. Employees who are on reduced or nil pay are excluded from calculations. For example, employees on parental leave or sick leave receiving half pay on 31 March 2025 are excluded from the analysis. This ensures that the analysis is accurate. All relevant employees are included in bonus pay gap calculations, whether they are full-pay or not. For example, employees on parental leave receiving half pay who received bonus pay in the 2024 to 2025 financial year will be included in bonus pay calculations.
The Environment Agency employed 13,502 payroll staff as of 31 March 2025. 13,149 full pay relevant employees were included in the hourly pay gap analysis; this includes part-time employees on full pay, as the report relates to hourly pay (the ordinary hourly rate) and not contracted hours. The bonus pay gap analysis includes 11,815 relevant employees who received a bonus payment in the 2024 to 2025 financial year.
To help you understand this report, here are some definitions relating to pay gap.
Ordinary hourly rate
The ordinary hourly rate is the average amount an employee earns per hour, based on their regular pay. The ordinary hourly rate includes:
- basic pay
- allowances
- shift premium pay
It does not include:
- employees on maternity leave, long term sick leave, other types of reduced pay
- overtime
The calculation for the ordinary hourly rate uses contractual weekly hours. This compares employees’ hourly pay, regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time. This rate is used in pay gap reporting to compare earnings fairly, helping to highlight any differences in pay that are not due to working more hours.
For each of the diversity characteristics, this pay gap report includes information on:
- the mean and median ordinary pay gaps
- the mean and median bonus gaps
- the proportion of employees who received bonuses
- the hourly pay quartiles of employees
Mean and median hourly pay gaps
When calculating a pay gap there are always 2 groups to compare. In these statistics we can use the terms ‘focal group’ and ‘comparator group’ for these 2 groups.
The mean or average pay gap is the difference between the mean hourly rate of full-pay relevant employees from the focal group (for example, women) and that of full-pay relevant employees from the comparator group (for example, men). This would be the opposite group across the whole organisation, and does not differentiate by grade, department, or type of role. The mean pay gap is calculated by adding up the hourly rate of pay of full-pay relevant employees (for example, having a religion and belief), dividing by the number of people in that group, and then comparing the average with the comparator group (for example, no religion and belief).
The median is the middle value if all hourly pay values were ordered from lowest to highest. The median, or middle point, pay gap is the difference between the median hourly rate of pay of full-pay relevant employees (for example, women) and that of full-pay relevant employees (for example, men). This would be the opposite group across the whole organisation.
Positive and negative pay gaps
The gap is calculated as the difference in earnings between the focal group and the comparator group as a percentage of the earnings of the comparator group.
When the percentage (%) gap is positive (more than zero) the percentage is how much less the focal group earns compared to the comparator group. Conversely, when the percentage gap is negative (less than zero) the percentage is how much higher the focal group earnings are compared to the comparator group.
For example, for all disability pay gaps the focal group is always the ‘disabled group’, and the comparator group the ‘non-disabled group’. This means the pay gap is always how much lower or higher the disabled group earnings are compared than the non-disabled group.
Comparisons of pay gaps between years are calculated by the difference in percentage points (pp). This means we look at how much the gap has widened or narrowed from one year to the next, rather than the percentage change itself. If the ethnicity mean pay gap was 4% in 2022 and 3.9% in 2023, the change is a decrease of 0.1 percentage points (-0.1pp). This means the gap has narrowed by 0.1 percentage points, showing progress toward pay equality.
Mean and median bonus gaps
Bonuses refer to one-off payments to reward performance that are paid as either:
- part of the annual pay award as a proportion of basic pay or
- throughout the year as cash or gift vouchers
In the Environment Agency these payments are local recognition awards and non-consolidated pay awards.
It is important to note some bonus payments such as end of year performance awards are pro-rated for part-time workers, which can influence bonus pay gaps.
The mean (or average) bonus pay value is calculated by adding up all the bonus payments given to each group, dividing by the number of people in that group, and then comparing the 2 averages.
The median bonus pay value is calculated by listing all bonus payments in each group from lowest to highest and finding the middle value. Then you compare the 2 middle values of each group.
Pay quartiles
Pay quartiles are obtained by ordering all relevant full-pay employee hourly pay from the highest to the lowest value and dividing the list into four equal groups. The 4 equal groups are referred to in this report as quartiles and contain an equal number of relevant full-pay employees.
The 4 quartiles are:
- lower quartile: the lowest paid 25%
- lower middle quartile
- upper middle quartile
- upper quartile: the highest paid 25%
Some employees who received identical hourly pay were allocated to different pay quartiles. This is due to the position of the threshold used to determine each quartile. In 2025, where this occurred, employees across different protected characteristics were allocated as equitably as possible.
Pay quartiles offer a more detailed breakdown of pay gaps by showing where employees (for example, men and women) sit within the Environment Agency’s pay structure. For a pay gap of 0%, the representation of women in each quartile should be equal to the representation across the Environment Agency overall. This context helps identify any under-representation and highlight areas for targeted action.
Gender pay gap
Definition of gender within the gender pay gap report
The term ‘gender pay gap’ derives from legislation and reflects the difference in average earnings between women and men.
Gender pay gap reporting is a statutory requirement, and we use the format set out in government guidance on gender pay gap reporting. This indicates that employers should take information as to gender from payroll or HR records. The gender pay gap data is therefore based on the information we hold on our payroll HR system records.
Representation of men and women in the Environment Agency
As of 31 March 2025, women represented 46.3% of the Environment Agency’s workforce, totalling 6,254 people.
Figure 1: percentage representation of women and men working in the Environment Agency (March 2025)
| Gender | Proportion of workforce |
|---|---|
| Women | 46.3% |
| Men | 53.7% |
Ordinary gender pay gap
The Environment Agency mean gender pay gap has increased, or widened, by 0.6 percentage points to -1.0%, in favour of women. The median gender pay gap has remained consistent since 2022 at 0%, meaning there is no difference in the middle hourly pay between men and women; both earn the same at the midpoint of their respective pay distributions.
Figure 2: comparison of the mean and median gender pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.3% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | 0% |
| 2023 | -0.3% | 0% |
| 2024 | -0.5% | 0% |
| 2025 | -1.0% | 0% |
Gender pay quartiles
Across the pay quartiles women are underrepresented in the lowest and highest quartiles. The representation of women has increased in the upper middle quartile from 44.5% in 2024 to 49.2% in 2025. The quartile with the highest representation of men is in the lowest pay quartile (59.0%).
To achieve gender parity in all quartiles, the representation of women should be 46.3% in all quartiles, to reflect the total Environment Agency organisational representation rate.
Figure 3: comparison of how women were represented across each quartile in 2020 to 2025
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 38.1% | 40.3% | 39.7% | 40.2% | 40.9% | 41.0% |
| Lower middle quartile | 45.7% | 45.1% | 47.5% | 48.2% | 51.4% | 47.3% |
| Upper middle quartile | 46.6% | 47.1% | 44.9% | 47.5% | 44.5% | 49.2% |
| Upper quartile | 37.7% | 39.2% | 41.2% | 42.6% | 44.0% | 45.1% |
Bonus gender pay gap
There has been an increase in bonus payments for both women and men. The percentage of men receiving bonuses increased from 80.1% in 2024 to 86.6%. The percentage of women receiving bonuses increased from 80.8% in 2024 to 88.6% in 2025.
The mean bonus pay gap is +3.4% in favour of men, which is a decrease of 2.6 percentage points since 2024, narrowing toward parity. In the Environment Agency, bonus payments are pro-rated for part time workers. Larger proportions of women (28.0%) work part time in comparison to men (7.5%), which could be contributing to the remaining mean bonus pay gap. The median bonus pay gap has narrowed by 3.4% this year to 0% meaning there is no difference between the median bonus pay gap value for men and women.
Figure 4: comparison of the percentage of employees who received a bonus in 2020 to 2025
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 85.2% | 84.7% |
| 2021 | 89.1% | 90.6% |
| 2022 | 89.6% | 88.2% |
| 2023 | 81.3% | 78.9% |
| 2024 | 80.1% | 80.8% |
| 2025 | 86.6% | 88.6% |
Figure 5: comparison of the mean and median gender bonus pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Bonus Mean | Bonus Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6.1% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 5.7% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 6.8% | 6.5% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | 6.3% |
| 2024 | 6.0% | 3.4% |
| 2025 | 3.4% | 0.0% |
Disability pay gap
This analysis is separate from the government’s recently introduced disability pay gap reporting. Changes to statutory pay gap reporting requirements will impact what and how we publish in future reports.
Definition of disability
The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform normal day-to-day activities.
Disability representation in the Environment Agency
As of 31 March 2025, 90.8% of Environment Agency employees had made a disability declaration. 16.1% of our workforce (2,174 people) declared they had a disability or a long-term health condition.
Figure 6: percentage representation of disability declarations (March 2025)
| Proportion of workforce | |
|---|---|
| Disabled | 16.1% |
| Not disabled | 74.5% |
| Prefer not to Say | 4.7% |
| Not declared | 4.8% |
Ordinary disability pay gap
The Environment Agency 2025 mean disability pay gap is +1.8%. This shows that, on average, non-disabled colleagues earn more than disabled colleagues. The mean disability pay gap has increased slightly from 2024 (+0.5pp). The median disability gap is 0%, meaning there is no slight difference in the middle hourly pay between disabled and non-disabled colleagues; non-disabled colleagues earn slightly more at the midpoint of their respective pay distributions.
Figure 7: comparison of the mean and median disability pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| 2022 | 2.7% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | 0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.7% | 0.0% |
Disability pay quartiles
Across the pay quartiles, representation of disabled colleagues has increased from 2024 to 2025. To achieve parity in all quartiles, disability representation should be 16.1% in all quartiles, to reflect the total Environment Agency organisational representation rate. The current representation of disabled colleagues is within 0.6pp of this, with slightly lower representation in the upper quartile.
Figure 8: comparison of how disabled colleagues were represented across each quartile in 2020 to 2025
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 13.9% | 14.2% | 14.7% | 13.6% | 14.9% | 16.3% |
| Lower middle quartile | 14.9% | 15.5% | 16.7% | 16.5% | 15.4% | 16.0% |
| Upper middle quartile | 15.9% | 15.3% | 15.8% | 15.7% | 15.7% | 16.5% |
| Upper quartile | 14.1% | 14.4% | 13.9% | 14.6% | 15.0% | 15.5% |
Bonus disability pay gap
88.5% of disabled colleagues received bonuses. 88.8% of non-disabled colleagues received bonuses. The mean disability bonus pay gap is +2.8%. This has increased from +1.0% in 2024. There is no difference between the median bonus pay for colleagues with and without a disability, consistent with 2024.
Figure 9: comparison of the percentage of disabled, non-disabled and those who did not declare, who received a bonus in 2020 to 2025
| Year | Non-disabled | Disabled | Not known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 85.7% | 89.2% | 72.8% |
| 2021 | 90.4% | 91.2% | 81.6% |
| 2022 | 90.3% | 91.3% | 74.4% |
| 2023 | 80.9% | 85.6% | 67.0% |
| 2024 | 81.4% | 85.8% | 64.8% |
| 2025 | 88.8% | 88.5% | 75.2% |
Figure 10: comparison of the mean and median disability bonus pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Bonus Mean | Bonus Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.1% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | 5.9% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| 2025 | 2.8% | 0.0% |
Ethnicity pay gap
This analysis is separate from the government’s recently introduced ethnicity pay gap reporting, which focuses on differences in average pay between ethnic groups. Changes to statutory pay gap reporting requirements will impact what and how we publish in future reports.
Definition of ethnicity
In the ethnicity section, the term ethnic minority refers to individuals who have self-disclosed as being from a Black, Asian, or minority ethnic background. This includes:
- Black (including Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African)
- Asian (including Asian British or Asian Welsh)
- Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups
- Other ethnic groups
Ethnicity representation in the Environment Agency
As of 31 March 2025, 94.5% of Environment Agency employees made an ethnicity declaration. 6.5% of the workforce (884 people) declared being from an ethnic minority background, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from 31 March 2024.
Figure 11: percentage representation of ethnicity declarations (March 2025)
| Proportion of workforce | |
|---|---|
| Ethnic Minority | 6.5% |
| White | 87.7% |
| Would prefer not to Say | 3.4% |
| Not declared | 2.4% |
Ethnicity ordinary pay gap
The Environment Agency mean ethnicity pay gap has increased by 0.6 percentage points from +5.1% in 2024 to +5.7% in 2025. This shows that, on average, white colleagues earn more than ethnic minority colleagues. The median pay gap has decreased by 2.9 percentage points from +13.4% in 2024 to +10.4% in 2025, meaning that the typical hourly pay difference between the 2 groups has narrowed. The reported gap reflects average pay across all roles and grades within the organisation.
Figure 12: comparison of the mean and median ethnicity pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.1% | 11.3% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | 16.7% |
| 2022 | 4.0% | 10.3% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | 7.8% |
| 2024 | 5.1% | 13.4% |
| 2025 | 5.7% | 10.4% |
Ethnicity pay quartiles
In the lower quartile, ethnic minority representation has increased from 6.8% in 2024 to 7.3% in 2025 (+0.5pp). In the lower middle quartile, representation has increased from 6.7% to 8.1% (+1.4pp). Ethnic minority representation has not changed in the upper middle and upper quartiles between 2024 and 2025. Colleagues from an ethnic minority background are still underrepresented in the upper quartile which represents the top 25% of full pay employees in the Environment Agency. To achieve parity in all quartiles, ethnic minority representation should be 6.5% in all quartiles, to reflect the total Environment Agency organisational representation rate.
Figure 13: comparison of how ethnic minority colleagues were represented across each quartile in 2020 to 2025
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 4.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 5.9% | 6.8% | 7.3% |
| Lower middle quartile | 4.7% | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.7% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| Upper middle quartile | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 5.1% | 6.2% | 6.2% |
| Upper quartile | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 4.6% |
Bonus ethnicity pay gap
78.1% of colleagues from an ethnic minority background received bonuses, which has increased by 12.9 percentage points from 2024. 89.2% of white colleagues received bonuses (+6.7pp from 2024). The mean ethnicity bonus pay gap has decreased from +9.5% in 2024 to +6.2 in 2025 (-3.3pp). This means that the gap in average bonus pay between white and ethnic minority employees has reduced. The median bonus pay gap has reduced significantly from 8.5% to 0%. This means there is no difference in the median bonus pay gap value for ethnic minority and white colleagues.
Figure 14: comparison of the percentage of ethnic minority, white and those who did not declare, who received a bonus in 2020 to 2025
| Year | White | Ethnic Minority | Not known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 85.1% | 78.8% | 91.3% |
| 2021 | 89.8% | 87.5% | 91.6% |
| 2022 | 89.1% | 84.9% | 90.5% |
| 2023 | 80.9% | 64.7% | 86.3% |
| 2024 | 82.5% | 65.2% | 59.6% |
| 2025 | 89.2% | 78.1% | 72.3% |
Figure 15: comparison of the mean and median ethnicity bonus pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Bonus Mean | Bonus Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.1% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| 2023 | -1.4% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 9.5% | 8.5% |
| 2025 | 6.2% | 0.0% |
Religion and belief pay gap
Definition of religion and belief
The Equality Act (2010) defines religion and belief broadly, covering any religion or any genuine philosophical belief. A religion needs a clear structure, but it does not have to be mainstream. A belief must be genuinely held and influence life choices.
Religion and belief representation in the Environment Agency
As of 31 March 2025, 83.6% of Environment Agency employees made a religion and belief declaration. 35.9% of employees (4,853 people), stated they hold a religious or philosophical belief. 47.5% of employees stated they did not hold a religious or philosophical belief. The largest religion and belief group in the Environment Agency was Christian (29.6%) followed by other religions in varying proportions making up the remainder of people who declared a religion and belief.
Figure 16: percentage representation of religion and belief declarations (March 2025)
| Proportion of workforce | |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief | 35.9% |
| No religion and belief | 47.5% |
| Would prefer not to say | 5.7% |
| Not declared | 10.8% |
Religion and belief ordinary pay gap
The Environment Agency religion and belief mean pay gap has decreased by 0.6 percentage points from -2.7% in 2024 to -2.1% in 2025. Though the pay gap is still in favour of those who have declared a religion and belief, it has narrowed indicating a positive shift towards absolute pay equity. The median religions and belief pay gap is 0% which means there is no difference in the middle hourly pay between colleagues who do and do not have religions and beliefs; both earn the same at the midpoint of their respective pay distributions.
Figure 17: comparison of the mean and median religion and belief pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -2.5% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | -1.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | -2.2% | 0% |
| 2023 | -2.5% | 0% |
| 2024 | -2.7% | 0% |
| 2025 | -2.1% | 0% |
Religion and belief pay quartiles
The quartile with the highest percentage of colleagues who declared a religion and belief was the upper quartile (39.6%). To achieve parity in all quartiles, representation of those with a religion and belief should be 35.9% in all quartiles, to reflect the total Environment Agency organisational representation rate.
Figure 18: comparison of how people with a religion and belief were represented across each quartile in 2020 to 2025
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 38.6% | 38.6% | 37.9% | 35.1% | 33.9% | 34.7% |
| Lower middle quartile | 38.2% | 38.5% | 37.4% | 36.8% | 35.3% | 34.9% |
| Upper middle quartile | 38.9% | 38.2% | 38.2% | 36.4% | 35.7% | 35.3% |
| Upper quartile | 43.5% | 42.8% | 41.9% | 41.1% | 39.8% | 39.6% |
Bonus religion and belief pay gap
89.2% of colleagues who declared they had a religion and belief received bonuses (+5.1pp from 2024). 87.6% of colleagues who have declared they have no religion and belief received bonuses (+8.2pp from 2024). The mean religion and belief bonus pay gap has decreased from -4.6% in 2024 to +1.0% (+5.6pp from 2024). This means that the gap in average bonus pay between colleagues with and without religions and beliefs has narrowed. It also means that the mean bonus pay gap has changed from being in favour of colleagues with a religion and belief to slightly in favour of those with no religion and belief. There is no difference in the median religion and belief bonus pay gap between people who declare a religion and belief and those who do not have a religion and belief.
Figure 19: comparison of the percentage of colleagues who either declared a religion and belief, no religion and belief and those who did not declare a religion and belief, who received a bonus
| Year | Religion and belief | No religion and belief | Not known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 87.5% | 83.7% | 82.6% |
| 2021 | 91.4% | 89.5% | 86.8% |
| 2022 | 92.1% | 88.6% | 84.7% |
| 2023 | 83.6% | 78.9% | 76.7% |
| 2024 | 84.1% | 79.4% | 75.6% |
| 2025 | 89.2% | 87.6% | 83.5% |
Table 20: comparison of the mean and median religion and belief bonus pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Bonus Mean | Bonus Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.2% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | -2.7% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | -1.5% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | -4.6% | 0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.0% | 0.0% |
Sexual orientation pay gap
Definition of sexual orientation
The Equality Act (2010) defines sexual orientation as meaning a person’s sexual orientation towards any of the following:
- persons of the same sex (that is, the person is a gay man or a lesbian)
- persons of the opposite sex (that is, the person is heterosexual)
- persons of either sex (that is, the person is bisexual)
Environment Agency colleagues are offered the following options for sexual orientation declarations: heterosexual, lesbian/gay, bisexual, or other sexual orientation. ‘LGBO’ refers to those colleagues who have selected one of the latter 3 options. It is worth noting that the LGBO pay gap analysis does not include trans individuals. This is because gender reassignment is a separate protected characteristic in the Equality Act (2010).
Sexual orientation representation in the Environment Agency
As of 31 March 2025, 85.7% of Environment Agency employees made a sexual orientation declaration. 5.9% of Environment Agency employees (795 people) declared being LGBO. LGBO representation at the Environment Agency exceeds national census data (3.2%).
Table 21: percentage representation of ethnicity declarations (March 2025)
| Proportion of workforce | |
|---|---|
| Heterosexual/Straight | 79.7% |
| LGBO | 5.9% |
| Would prefer not to Say | 8.8% |
| Not declared | 5.7% |
Sexual orientation ordinary pay gap
The mean LGBO pay gap is +7.5%, which is a decrease of 1.0 percentage points from 2024. This means the mean pay gap for LGBO colleagues has narrowed, indicating progress towards pay equity. The median pay gap remains unchanged at 20.7%, meaning that disparities persist at the midpoint of pay distribution.
Figure 22: comparison of the mean and median LGBO pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7.7% | 18.3% |
| 2021 | 7.1% | 20.9% |
| 2022 | 6.6% | 18.2% |
| 2023 | 7.6% | 20.7% |
| 2024 | 8.4% | 20.7% |
| 2025 | 7.5% | 20.7% |
Sexual orientation pay quartiles
Across most pay quartiles, representation of LGBO colleagues has increased from 2024 to 2025. The quartile with the highest percentage of LGBO colleagues is the lower quartile, although LGBO representation has decreased marginally to 7.4% (-0.1pp). Contrastingly, in the lower middle quartile, LGBO representation has increased from 5.5% to 6.7% (+1.2pp). These 2 changes together suggest potential career progression and sustained recruitment of LGBO colleagues. Lowest representation is in the upper quartile (3.8%), a significant driver behind the LGBO pay gap. To achieve parity in all quartiles, representation of LGBO colleagues should be 5.7% in all quartiles, to reflect the total Environment Agency
Figure 23: comparison of how LGBO colleagues were represented across each quartile in 2020 to 2025
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 4.2% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 7.5% | 7.4% |
| Lower middle quartile | 3.6% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.7% |
| Upper middle quartile | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.8% | 4.0% | 5.3% | 5.6% |
| Upper quartile | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 3.8% |
Bonus sexual orientation pay gap
In 2025, there was a 9.9 percentage point increase in bonus payments for LGBO employees with 79.9% receiving bonuses. There was a 6.7 percentage point increase in the percentage of bonus payments for heterosexual employees, with 89.1% receiving bonuses. The mean LGBO bonus pay gap (+1.8%) has narrowed significantly from the previous year by 8.6 percentage points, suggesting progress towards more equitable reward practices across sexual orientations. The median bonus pay gap has also reduced from 4.2% to 0%. This means there is no difference in the median bonus pay value for colleagues who are LGBO and colleagues who are heterosexual.
Figure 24: comparison of the percentage of colleagues who either declared to be LGBO, heterosexual or colleagues who did not declare their sexual orientation, who received a bonus
| Year | Heterosexual/Straight | LGBO | Not known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 85.9% | 78.8% | 81.5% |
| 2021 | 90.8% | 84.7% | 85.5% |
| 2022 | 90.4% | 81.6% | 83.3% |
| 2023 | 82.3% | 64.6% | 74.4% |
| 2024 | 82.4% | 70.0% | 73.8% |
| 2025 | 89.1% | 79.9% | 82.0% |
Figure 25: comparison of the mean and median LGBO bonus pay gap for 2020 to 2025
| Year | Bonus Mean | Bonus Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -2.1% | -3.7% |
| 2021 | -4.4% | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 10.3% | 4.2% |
| 2025 | 1.8% | 0.0% |
Taking actions to close pay gaps
At the Environment Agency, we continue to build an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We embrace equitable opportunities so everyone can thrive, recognising that varied perspectives and experiences are essential to tackling complex environmental challenges.
While our pay gaps remain comparatively lower than those of similar-sized organisations and the civil service, we will continue to investigate and address these gaps.
Understanding our pay gaps
To deepen our understanding of pay gaps and performance outcomes, we commissioned independent research to explore potential drivers of disparity.
The research confirmed that pay disparities persist across protected characteristics, even when accounting for factors such as:
- grade
- contract type
- working hours
- length of service
- directorate
The findings indicated small but consistent differences in performance ratings across demographic groups. While these differences are statistically significant, they are not indicative of deliberate bias, and demographic factors alone do not strongly predict performance outcomes.
This presents a complex picture that is informing our ongoing efforts to ensure fairness and transparency in pay and performance.
Addressing our pay gaps
In 2025, we have made meaningful progress against our equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy objectives and will continue to drive further improvements to decrease our pay gaps and ensure fair and equitable outcomes for all our colleagues.
Objective 1: build and develop an inclusive and respectful culture that allows everyone to be their best selves at work. Promote organisational inclusion, tackle bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
We have:
- introduced the Trust in Reporting programme, improving mechanisms for reporting bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and fostering a safer workplace culture
- launched a refreshed ‘EDI Essentials’ e-learning module in April 2025, now required annually for all colleagues to reinforce inclusive behaviours
- enhanced the employee survey with new questions on workplace adjustments and refined demographic categories, enabling deeper insights into the experiences of diverse employee groups
Objective 2: increase the diversity of our workforce. Recruit inclusively and equitably to enable a more diverse workforce reflective of the communities we serve.
We have:
- continued to embed EDI into all aspects of recruitment - from attraction and application through to interview, onboarding and induction - making strides toward greater transparency, inclusivity and equity throughout the process
- invested in inclusive career entry pathways to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve, with targeted internships, placements and graduate schemes helping to attract early career talent
- improved access to EDI data to support data-led decision-making and improve visibility of workforce diversity
Objective 3: ensure equity of opportunity. Make performance, development, progression and pay more equitable across the Environment Agency.
We have:
- delivered meaningful pay increases across the organisation in the 2025 pay award. Proportionally higher rises were awarded for lower grades, reinforcing our commitment to improving pay equity
- further embedded EDI into the Leadership and Personal Effectiveness Framework, which defines the capabilities and behaviours expected of all colleagues
- enhanced workplace flexibility and inclusion by strengthening workplace adjustments guidance, applying for Disability Confident Level 3, and updating our flexible working policy based on feedback from over 600 colleagues
Objective 4: we deliver equitable environmental outcomes and inclusive services.
- launched the Social Value Flexible Toolkit, supporting teams to deliver targeted social value commitments effectively and proportionately
- built greater understanding of the communities we serve in local teams across the Environment Agency to ensure equitable support across England
- made significant progress in understanding and addressing the Environment Agency’s role in relation to modern slavery, with prevention remaining a key priority
Future areas of focus
Across the Environment Agency, our commitment is to maintain and strengthen equity for all colleagues, ensuring fair outcomes in pay, progression, representation, and workplace experience. While our gender and disability pay gaps remain close to zero, wider disparities across ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other characteristics require sustained focus. This unified action plan brings together the shared priorities that cut across all characteristics, enabling a streamlined approach to tackling disparities and embedding inclusion in everything we do.
1. Strengthening evidence, insight and transparency
We will deepen our understanding of the factors affecting pay and representation by:
- analysing representation and progression across directorates and job roles, identifying where localised disparities may be hidden within overall pay gap figures
- conducting intersectional analysis to understand how multiple factors influence career outcomes, including life‑stage impacts such as menopause or long‑term health conditions
- improving declaration rates across ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and religion and belief. Increasing data completeness is essential for robust, evidence‑based action, particularly for smaller groups where minor changes can significantly affect insights
- aligning with forthcoming statutory requirements, including disability and ethnicity pay gap reporting and future Equality Action Plans under the Employment Rights Act from 2027. With upcoming changes to statutory reporting, we will also review our capacity to continue reporting non-statutory pay gaps
2. Fair, consistent and inclusive people management
To support equity in pay, bonuses, and progression, we will:
- embed good practice in performance management, supported by training and guidance for line managers to promote fairness in ratings, reward and recognition
- enhance support for colleagues experiencing long‑term or regular sickness, part‑time working, or life‑stage impacts, including menopause, fertility treatment, and bereavement
- continue promoting workplace adjustments, building on our Disability Confident Level 3 status and expanding the use of workplace passports to ensure timely, tailored support
- review policies, processes and procedures regularly to ensure consistency and transparency across all aspects of people management, including recruitment, training, development, and leave policies
3. Strengthening representation and progression
Ensuring all colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities remains a core priority. We will:
- target increased representation in senior roles, particularly for ethnic minority and LGBO colleagues, by addressing under-representation in the upper pay quartile, which contributes to wider pay gaps. We will monitor recruitment and progression data to identify barriers and implement strategic interventions that attract, support and advance diverse talent into senior roles
- develop and promote inclusive development initiatives, using workforce data and evidence to ensure equitable access to learning and mentoring opportunities
- monitor the impact of recruitment patterns, recognising that increased recruitment into lower grades, while positive for representation, may temporarily widen pay gaps. We will track progression over time to ensure that growth in representation translates into long‑term equity
- continue to attract and retain diverse talent, building on recent improvements in recruitment offers, especially for ethnic minority candidates
4. Creating an inclusive and supportive workplace culture
We will continue to foster an environment where all colleagues feel a strong sense of belonging and are confident to speak up. This includes:
- promoting awareness of our Menopause and Menstruation Policy, supporting both employees and line managers to build understanding and foster a positive approach to menstrual health and menopause
- embedding the Sexual Harassment Preventative Duty and promoting our ‘Speak Up’ campaign to ensure all inappropriate behaviour is reported and addressed
- embedding our EDI commitments within the Public Sector Equality Duty, ensuring inclusion is integral to how we work every day
5. Strategic alignment
As we refresh the Environment Agency EDI strategy, our ambition is to:
- maintain our well‑performing pay gaps and narrow wider disparities, recognising that gaps in pay and bonuses signal inequity that must be addressed through sustained, evidence‑based action
- ensure continuous improvement in all people management processes, including performance management, training, and development, to support fairness and inclusion
- maintain our commitment to Equality Impact Assessments, ensuring organisational changes are assessed for their impact across all protected characteristics
True inclusion means valuing the diversity of thought, experience, and perspective that every individual brings. By harnessing this diversity, we strengthen our ability to protect and enhance the environment. Our approach reflects the highest ideals of public service and drives meaningful progress toward a more equitable workplace for all.
Declaration
We confirm that data reported by the Environment Agency is accurate and has been calculated according to the requirements and methodology set out in the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.
Philip Duffy - Environment Agency Chief Executive