4. FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: WHAT WORKS Bridging the gap between intent and impact requires organisations to move from well- meaning policies to systemic, measurable, and co-created practices. Insights from the Ethnicity Pay Gap Conference 2025 reveal that sustainable progress is achievable, but only when organisations embed equity into the heart of how they operate. This section outlines the practical pillars of effective intervention.
G.A.P. FRAMEWORK by Bernadette Thompson O.B.E.
Organisations seeking to address the ethnicity pay gap must move beyond statements of intent and adopt a clear, data-informed, and accountable approach. This ‘Gather–Act–Prove It’ framework offers a strategic pathway built on transparency, targeted intervention, and cultural change.
G:
Don’t Guess Know.
GATHER THE RIGHT DATA:
Too often, organisations start from incomplete or overly aggregated data that obscures key disparities. Identifying the true nature of the gap requires: Using precise ethnic categories. Avoid umbrella terms like "BAME" which flatten important distinctions between groups with very different experiences and outcomes. Collecting the data anyway. Even if disclosure is low, begin with what you have and build trust over time through transparency and clear communication. Segmenting data across roles, grades, departments, and locations to reveal where gaps are most pronounced and who is most affected. Incorporating intersectional analysis to understand how ethnicity interacts with gender, disability, class, and other factors. Listening to lived experience. Quantitative data must be complemented with qualitative insights to capture the human context behind the numbers. This diagnostic stage is not a one-off exercise, it must be embedded into ongoing workforce monitoring and review processes.
“Equity has to be an operational norm, not an annual campaign.” – Professor David Mba
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