Pay gap data
At Rail Delivery Group (RDG), we are committed to fostering a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued, respected and able to thrive.
Creating an environment where people are rewarded fairly for their work and contribution is fundamental to this commitment. Understanding and addressing our pay gaps forms an important part of our wider Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy, helping to ensure that everyone has equitable opportunities to develop, progress and succeed.
Since 2018, we have published our gender pay gap figures annually. The gender pay gap measures the difference in average hourly pay between men and women across the organisation, expressed as both the mean and median. It is different from equal pay, which relates to men and women receiving the same pay for the same work, or work of equal value.
We also publish our ethnicity pay gap data, which measures the difference in average hourly pay between employees from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and those from White backgrounds across the organisation.
We remain committed to increasing representation at all levels of RDG and taking meaningful action to help reduce our pay gaps over time.
# Pay Gaps
Like many organisations operating within traditionally male-dominated and less ethnically diverse sectors, our pay gaps are influenced by the under-representation of women and employees from minority ethnic backgrounds in senior leadership roles and highly paid specialist and technical positions.
Our mean gender pay gap is 17.3%, while our median gender pay gap is 17.4%. The median pay gap has reduced by 7.6 percentage points since our first published figure of 25% in 2018, demonstrating continued progress over time.
Our mean ethnicity pay gap is 9.8%, while our median ethnicity pay gap is 9.5%. The median ethnicity pay gap has increased by 1.1 percentage points since our first published figure of 8.4% in 2020, highlighting the continued focus needed to improve representation and career progression opportunities for colleagues from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Pay gaps are not a measure of unequal pay for equal work. Rather, they reflect the distribution of different groups across an organisation's workforce and career levels.
| Median (middle) | Mean (average) |
|
|---|---|---|
Gender Pay | 17.4% | 17.3% |
Ethnicity Pay | 9.5% | 9.8% |
# What we are doing to close the gap
We recognise that reducing pay gaps requires sustained action to improve attraction, retention, development and progression opportunities for under-represented groups.
At RDG, we are focused on creating a more representative workforce by developing the talent we already have and attracting a broader range of candidates to join our organisation. This includes strengthening our recruitment processes, embedding inclusive hiring practices and equipping our managers with the knowledge and skills to support diverse teams effectively.
We are encouraged by the progress we are making in increasing gender and ethnic diversity across the organisation. However, we recognise that meaningful change takes time and that continued focus is needed to ensure colleagues from all backgrounds have equal opportunities to reach their potential.
Alongside our internal initiatives, we continue to work across the rail industry to better understand and address the barriers that can affect progression into senior and specialist roles. While progress may not always be reflected immediately in pay gap figures, we are confident that these efforts will help create lasting cultural change and contribute to narrowing our pay gaps over the longer term. This work includes:
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Supporting and growing our employee network groups, including Embrace (minority ethnic employees and allies), Platform (LGBTQ+ employees and allies), Empower (women and non-binary employees), Fundamental (men's mental health), Mental Health & Wellbeing, Disability Awareness Network, Working Parents, and Carers' Community.
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Celebrating and recognising the diversity of our workforce through initiatives such as Knowledge Bites, Interfaith Week and Culture & Wellbeing Week.
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Analysing workforce data and working closely with our networks to better understand potential barriers to attraction, retention, progression and inclusion.
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Maintaining robust and inclusive recruitment practices, including partnerships with organisations that help us reach talented candidates from a wider range of backgrounds.
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Undertaking external assessment against an industry EDI maturity model to inform our strategy and action planning.
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Continuing our commitment to mentoring through Executive-led Mentoring Circles and participation in industry programmes such as Next Stop, Your Future and the Women in Rail Mentoring Scheme.
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Providing learning and development opportunities for our people managers, including immersive virtual reality empathy training and Inclusive Leadership workshops.
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Encouraging employees to take ownership of their development through coaching, mentoring, job shadowing and career development conversations.
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Supporting industry-wide collaboration through our commitment as signatories of the Women in Rail and Railway Industry Association EDI Charter for Rail.
As the rail industry moves towards the creation of Great British Railways and prepares to deliver an estimated 100,000 additional jobs across rail and its supply chain in the coming years, we have a significant opportunity to help shape a more diverse and representative workforce for the future.
Attracting, developing and retaining talented people from all backgrounds will be essential to delivering the safe, reliable and innovative railway that customers, communities and colleagues expect.
We remain committed to creating a workplace where everyone can grow, progress and contribute fully. Increasing representation across our workforce, particularly at senior levels, is an important part of addressing our gender and ethnicity pay gaps. While we recognise there is more work to do, we are encouraged by the progress made so far and remain focused on building on this momentum.
Through sustained action, accountability and collaboration, we will continue working to create meaningful and lasting change, supporting both our people and the future success of the railway as the industry enters its next chapter under Great British Railways.