The UK observes Ethnicity Pay Gap Day today (on 8 January 2025), a key moment for addressing the persistent inequities faced by ethnic minority professionals in the workplace.
To mark the occasion, workplace diversity organisation People Like Us, in partnership with creative agency Worth Your While, unveiled a hard-hitting campaign that goes beyond the statistics to bring the realities of workplace bias to life. Central to the campaign is a visually arresting two-minute film, directed by rising talent Naghmeh Pour, featuring British Bangladeshi lyricist Yasmin Ali. The black-and-white ad campaign captures the struggles of many ethnic minority job seekers, contrasting their experiences with those of their white counterparts.
The campaign draws on sobering research. Job applicants with ethnic minority names are required to submit 60% more applications than their white British counterparts to secure a callback. Through a poetic narrative, Ali gives voice to the frustration and inequity faced by millions, posing the poignant question: “What’s in a name?” – a Shakespearean quote reimagined to expose systemic hiring biases.
The campaign, running under the hashtag #NameTheBias, is part of a broader push to spark national conversations about ethnic pay disparities and workplace inclusion.
CALL FOR MANDATORY ETHNICITY PAY GAP REPORTING
The timing of this campaign is no coincidence. The UK is edging closer to introducing mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting, a measure that advocates and diversity organisations have championed for years. According to People Like Us, 58% of working professionals support adopting the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which would:
- Require employers to disclose salary ranges upfront during the hiring process.
- Prohibit employers from asking candidates about their prior salaries.
Such measures aim to level the playing field and address historical pay gaps by promoting greater transparency – a critical step in tackling bias in recruitment and remuneration. The #NameTheBias campaign launched with exclusive screenings at the House of Lords and Houses of Parliament, with plans for a wider rollout across digital platforms and other channels.
ETHNICITY PAY GAP DAY: A CALL FOR CHANGE
Established in 2018 by diversity champion Dianne Greyson, Ethnicity Pay Gap Day highlights the discrepancies in pay and opportunities for Black, Asian, mixed race and minority ethnic professionals. This year’s observance comes with a renewed call to action for business leaders to address the issue head-on.
To maintain momentum, Greyson’s #EthnicityPayGap Campaign, in partnership with leading consultancy Spktral, is organising the Ethnicity Pay Gap Summit 2025, scheduled for 7 February 2025, at Lloyd’s of London. Backed by prominent organisations like the Fawcett Society, ShareAction and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK), the summit will provide:
- Expert panels and actionable strategies for businesses preparing for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.
- Educational workshops to deepen understanding of systemic pay inequality.
- Networking opportunities to connect with leaders committed to diversity and inclusion.
WHY BUSINESSES MUST ACT NOW
For UK businesses, preparing for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting is not just a regulatory necessity – it’s a business imperative. “Mandatory reporting is not just a box-ticking exercise,” Greyson remarked. “It’s about transparency, fairness, and creating an environment where every professional has an equal opportunity to thrive.”
Organisations that prioritise diversity and inclusion consistently outperform their peers in innovation, employee retention and overall profitability. The McKinsey & Company report Diversity Wins found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic diversity in executive teams were 36% more likely to outperform their industry peers on profitability. In contrast, those lagging in diversity risk stagnation and reputational damage in an increasingly socially conscious market.
Campaigns like #NameTheBias serve as a reminder that the time for action is now. With ethnic minority professionals continuing to face disproportionate hurdles in hiring and pay, businesses that fail to address these disparities risk being left behind – not just by regulators, but by employees and consumers alike.
TIME TO CLOSE THE ETHNICITY PAY GAP
“The case is clear. Closing the ethnicity pay gap benefits employees and employers as well as the economy. There is a well of research which highlights the need and financial imperative for ethnicity pay gap reporting. It is not just a nice to have, but one of the many tools that can be used to identify and improve disparities for staff in an organisation,” said Sheeraz Gulsher, co-founder of People Like Us. “The government has failed to deliver on its promise to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory. Many organisations have taken it upon themselves to voluntarily report, as they see the benefits of this as a driver for changing their culture, systems and addressing deep-rooted inequality within their organisations.”
The government “must now bring mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting into force to make it on par with gender pay gap reporting, if it is truly committed to ending discrimination for all, as set out in the Equality Act 2010,” urged Gulsher.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Ethnicity Pay Gap Day and the #NameTheBias campaign highlight a critical truth: bias and inequality are not just moral issues but business ones as well. As the UK prepares for mandatory reporting, forward-thinking organisations have an opportunity to lead the way in creating workplaces that are truly inclusive.
By tackling hiring bias, increasing transparency and closing the pay gap, businesses can not only drive positive societal change but also unlock the full potential of a diverse workforce – an asset no modern organisation can afford to ignore.
Click here for more information on the Ethnicity Pay Gap Summit 2025.
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