Hackney Council's Corporate Committee has deferred a report detailing the council's gender and ethnicity pay gap. The report, presented on Monday 14 September 2026, highlighted that while women at the council earn more on average than men, there is a significant pay gap in favour of white employees.
The report revealed that white employees at Hackney Council earn more than their Black and Global Majority colleagues. For 2026, the mean ethnicity pay gap stands at 12.63%, meaning Black and Global Majority staff earn approximately 87p for every £1 a white employee earns. The median ethnicity pay gap is 7.68%, with Black and Global Majority staff earning around 92p for every £1 earned by white employees. The council defines 'Global Majority' as part of the term 'Black and Global Majority', acknowledging that while collective terminology is sometimes necessary, it can mask the needs of specific communities within the diverse borough.
This disparity is particularly evident in the lower pay quartiles, where Black and Global Majority employees are over-represented. The report indicates that pay inequality can stem from various factors, including inaccessibility of training and educational opportunities, discriminatory hiring and promotion practices, and the pressure on marginalised individuals to undertake unpaid labour such as childcare, which can hinder career advancement.
Conversely, the council has a negative gender pay gap, meaning women on average earn more than men. However, the report also noted that men are over-represented in the lowest pay quartile. This pattern emerges despite women being 5-10% overrepresented in the top three pay quartiles. The lowest quartile jobs typically include roles such as environmental operatives, care workers, and cleaners. Men are over-represented in this lowest quartile by 15.64 percentage points.
The incoming administration had pledged in their 2026 manifesto to tackle pay inequality across Hackney Council, especially racial pay inequality.
The Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap 2026 Report
includes an Equality Action Plan
with targeted actions to address these issues. Specifically, Targeted Action 3: Ethnicity Pay Gap Action Plan - Workforce Analysis, Progression and Occupational Data Review
aims to conduct a detailed review to better understand the underlying factors contributing to pay differences for Black & Global Majority employees. This review will examine occupational segregation, representation across grades and job families, recruitment outcomes, career progression, promotion rates, and retention patterns to identify structural barriers and inform targeted interventions.
Much good work is already underway to address this pay inequality, and it should be understood that initiatives to combat such deep-seated and historical oppressions can take time to take effect. Progress will be monitored through the EEDIB KPI Framework, with reporting conducted bi-annually.
The Corporate Committee agreed to defer the discussion on the gender and ethnicity pay gap report to its next meeting, scheduled for 17 November 2026. The expected outcome of that discussion is that the committee will review and resolve to note the contents of the Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap 2026 Report
.
