Equality Action Plans

The ERA 2025 introduces a power for regulations to be introduced making it mandatory for employers with 250 employees or more, including public authorities, to develop and publish an equality action plan showing the steps they are taking to address the gender pay gap and supporting employees going through menopause. The requirement to publish equality actions is intended to build on the existing gender pay gap reporting duty as employers will need to set out how they will address the gender pay gap and support women going through the menopause.

Since April 2026 employers have been encouraged to produce and publish a voluntary action plan alongside their pay gap data, so they are prepared for when the requirement becomes mandatory. Just prior to this the government published step by step guidance for employers on how to create an action plan along with a list of recommended actions on recruitment, promotion and development of staff, building diversity within organisations, increasing transparency and supporting employees experiencing the menopause.

The mandatory duty to develop and publish an equality action plan is expected to come into force in 2027.  It is not clear if it will be mandatory to publish in March/April 2027 to coincide with the current duty to publish gender pay gap reports.

 

This publication is a general summary of the law. It should not replace legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

Visit our main Employment Rights Act Hub for further information.Â