Shaping the Future of Pay Gap Reporting: MyAnova and INvolve Host Exclusive Roundtable

On Wednesday 4th June, MyAnova and INvolve co-hosted an exclusive roundtable exploring one of the most pressing conversations in workplace inclusion today: “Data, Disclosure and Direction – How top organisations are tackling ethnicity and disability pay gaps and what comes next.”

With the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill signalling potential legal requirements for UK-based ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive pushing for more stringent gender pay gap disclosures, the stakes have never been higher for UK employers.

In response, we gathered a powerful group of senior Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and HR leaders to discuss the future of pay gap reporting. 

The session was forward-thinking, candid, and rich with insight – here are three key takeaways that stood out:

1. Disclosure is deeply personal, and trust is everything
Conversations highlighted that many individuals, especially those with invisible disabilities or intersecting identities, hesitate to disclose due to mistrust, fear of negative consequences, or not wanting to be 'put in a box'. Some leaders are seeing employees increasingly opting for "prefer not to say". Successful organisations must build trust through transparency, honest storytelling, and clear action, not just data collection.

2. Data collection remains a key discussion point
Many organisations are still debating how to collect data effectively. Platforms lack customisation, cultural context varies widely and employees need to understand the what why where and how. The conversation emphasised that data collection must feel like a safe process, and that starts with how the question is asked.

3. Action plans must be credible, localised and resourced
Whether it's mandatory or not, a pay gap report without a follow-up plan risks being labelled performative. Senior-level accountability, robust communication, and frameworks tailored to local and industry context are essential. The group also noted the need for accessible templates and government-backed standards to level the playing field, particularly for smaller organisations.

With these real-world insights from leaders, practical approaches to reporting, hidden complexities, and the cultural shift that’s needed to ensure the data drives change, these insights will be used to submit a formal response to the Government’s consultation.

A huge thank you to those who attended this insightful session.

Want to Join the Conversation?

If you missed this roundtable but have ideas or thoughts to share, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to Jenny Winspear, and keep an eye out for more events aimed at shaping the next chapter of DEI reporting.