Environment Agency: pay gap 2022
Updated 25 March 2024
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1. Foreword
The Environment Agency (EA) exists to help society adapt to environmental challenges and improve and protect the quality of our air, land, and water.
We work together with local, national, and global partners. We strive to make the right decisions today, for the people, wildlife, and environment of tomorrow.
Through our people strategy we aim to place equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at the heart of all we do. We are committed to becoming a genuinely inclusive organisation which reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.
Our colleagues have told us what they love about working here:
- the ability to transform places and people’s lives
- the stability of our employment
- our sense of purpose and connection at work
- our aspiration to be a life enhancing organisation where our people can feel confident bringing their whole self to work.
Our EDI strategy aligns with the Defra group equality, diversity and inclusion strategy 2020-2024. This includes our ambition to eliminate all our pay gaps.
We are accountable and open to challenge and scrutiny. Our reporting goes beyond just gender equality as required by legislation. We also report our ethnicity, disability, faith and belief and sexual orientation pay gaps.
We are pleased our mean gender pay gap has reduced from 1.4% to 0.1%. Our mean ethnicity (4%), and sexual orientation (6.6%) pay gaps have also reduced by 1.1% and 0.5% respectively.
However, our faith and belief pay gap continues to be negative at -2.2% (favouring those who declared a faith or belief). The gap has widened for disability (2.6%). This is an increase of 0.6% from the previous year.
Whilst our pay gaps are generally lower than other organisations of similar sizes, that gives us no cause for complacency. As part of our wider commitment to fairness and equity to all our staff, we are working to understand and address reasons for the pay gaps and to actively close them.
Alan Lovell DL – Chair
Sir James Bevan – Chief Executive
2. Introduction
The Environment Agency (EA) employed 10,949 people as of 31 March 2022. Each year the EA publishes reports on pay gaps related to:
- gender
- disability
- ethnicity
- faith and belief
- sexual orientation
You can read more information about our workforce diversity in our equality statement .
3. Understanding the key definitions of a pay gap
A pay gap is the difference between the average pay between one group of people compared to another in the organisation. Pay gap is different to equal pay, which is about the difference in the actual earnings between groups doing equal work or work of equal value.
This report measures full pay relevant employee pay gaps. It does not include employees on reduced pay, for example if they are on parental leave or sick leave receiving half pay.
10,601 full pay relevant employees were included in this report, this does include part-time employees as the report relates to pay not contracted hours.
To help you understand this report, here are some definitions relating to pay gap.
3.1 Ordinary hourly rate
The ordinary hourly rate includes:
- basic pay
- allowances
- shift premium pay
It does not include:
- employees on maternity leave, long term sick leave, or other types of reduced pay
- overtime
The calculation for ordinary hourly rate uses contractual weekly hours. This compares employees’ hourly pay, regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time.
3.2 Mean and median hourly pay gaps
The mean or average pay gap is the difference between the mean hourly rate of full-pay relevant employees from a select characteristic (for example, women) and that of full-pay relevant employees (for example, men). This would be the opposite group across the whole organisation. It does not take into consideration grade, department or type of role.
The median (middle point) pay gap is the difference between the median hourly rate of pay of full-pay relevant employees (for example, women) and that of full-pay relevant employees (for example, men). This would be the opposite group across the whole organisation. It does not take into consideration grade, department or type of role.
3.3 Mean and median bonus gaps
Bonuses refer to one-off payments to reward performance that are paid as either:
- part of the annual pay award as a proportion of basic pay
- throughout the year as either cash or gift vouchers.
Some bonus payments such as end of year performance awards are pro-rated for part-time workers. This can influence bonus pay gaps.
In the EA, bonuses include local recognition awards and unconsolidated pay awards.
The mean (or average) bonus value is found by adding all bonus values together and dividing the total by how many people were paid.
The median is the middle value if all bonuses were ordered from smallest to largest.
3.4 Pay quartiles
We arrange employees by their ordinary hourly pay and then divide employees into 4 groups, each group is called a quartile.
This provides an indication of where people from each diversity characteristic are placed in the organisation. For example the lowest quartile represents 25% of the lowest earners.
4. Gender pay gap
The EA recognises gender is a complex topic and people may not always directly identify with a set gender.
For the purposes of this report only the biological sex of men and women, or male and female individuals is included in gender pay gap calculations. This is in line with broader gender pay gap reporting,
As of 31 March 2022, women represented 44.1% of the EA’s workforce, totalling (4,827). The EA mean gender pay gap is currently at 0.1%, reducing by 1.3% from the previous year. The EA mean gender pay gap is significantly lower than the Civil Service Pay Gap (8.5%).
The EA gender pay gap is low in comparison to other organisations and the national average hourly pay gap. However more work needs to be done to achieve better gender equality both:
- across the organisation
- within specific job families where imbalance in gender representation can lead to gender pay gaps
Table 1: comparison of the mean and median gender pay gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.4% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | 0% |
Across the pay quartiles women can be seen to be underrepresented at every level, particularly in the lowest and highest quartiles. Representation of women in each quartile has increased from the previous year apart from the highest quartile. In the highest quartile representation decreased from 44.8% in 2021 to 41.2% in 2022.
Table 2: comparison of how women were represented across each quartile in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 38.1% | 35.5% | 39.2% |
| Lower-middle | 45.7% | 26.4% | 47.9% |
| Upper-middle | 46.6% | 36% | 44.9% |
| Upper quartile | 37.7% | 44.8% | 41.2% |
Women’s representation at higher levels in the organisation is increasing. Women now make up 45% of higher grades.
Table 3: comparison of the percentage of male and female employees who received a bonus in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 85.7% | 85% |
| 2021 | 89.4% | 90.6% |
| 2022 | 90.6% | 89.3% |
The mean bonus pay gap (7.9%) has increased by 2.3% since 2021. Larger proportions of women (33.1%), work part-time in comparison to 6.4% of men. This could impact the mean bonus pay gap.
There is no difference between the median bonus pay gap value for men and women.
Table 4: comparison of the mean and median gender bonus gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6.2% | 0.7% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | 0% |
| 2022 | 7.9% | 0% |
4.1 Definition of gender
For the purpose of the Equality Act, a person’s legal sex is their biological sex as recorded on their birth certificate.
A trans person can change their legal sex by obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate. A trans person who does not have a Gender Recognition Certificate retains the sex recorded on their birth certificate for the purposes of the Act.
5. Disability pay gap
As of 31 March 2022, 91% of EA employees made a disability declaration. 15.1% of our workforce (1,660 people) declared they had a disability or a long-term health condition. Across the Defra group disability representation stood at 14.7%. In the wider Civil Service 14% of people reported having a disability.
The EA disability pay gap currently stands at 2.6% and has widened by 0.6% since 2021. The median disability gap reduced by 1.3% over the last year and is now at now at 0%.
Table 5: comparison of the mean and median disability pay gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 2% | 1.3% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | 0% |
Across the pay quartiles, representation of disabled people has decreased in the lowest quartile, from 17.3% in 2021 to 14.9% in 2022. However, disabled representation has slightly increased in the top 3 quartiles. There was a 2% rise in the highest quartile representing 25% of the highest earners in the EA.
Table 6: comparison of how people with disabilities were represented across each quartile in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 13.9% | 17.3% | 14.9% |
| Lower-middle | 14.8% | 15.6% | 16.6% |
| Upper-middle | 15.9% | 14.6% | 15.7% |
| Upper quartile | 14.2% | 11.9% | 13.9% |
The mean disability bonus pay gap (2.1%) has reduced from the previous year by 2.7%
Table 7: comparison of the percentage of disabled, non-disabled and those who did not declare, who received a bonus in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Group | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disabled | 89.5% | 91.4% | 91.9% |
| Non-disabled | 86% | 90.6% | 91.9% |
| Not known | 75.3% | 81.9% | 78.6% |
There is no difference between the median disability bonus figure for people with disabilities and those without disabilities.
Table 8: comparison of the mean and median disability bonus gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.9% | 0% | 91.9% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | 0% | 91.9% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | 0% | 78.6% |
5.1 Definition of Disability
You are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
The terms related to disability are defined as:
- ‘substantial’ is more than minor or trivial. For example, it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed
- ‘long-term’ means 12 months or more. For example a breathing condition that develops because of a lung infection
5.2 Progressive conditions
A progressive condition is one that gets worse over time. People with progressive conditions can be classed as disabled.
You automatically meet the disability definition under the Equality Act 2010 from the day you are diagnosed with
- HIV infection
- cancer
- multiple sclerosis
6. Ethnicity pay gap
As of 31 March 2022, 97% of EA employees made an ethnicity declaration.
4.5% of our workforce, totalling 503 people, declared being from a black, asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background.
Ethnic Minority representation in the EA has remained steady since 2020, with small improvements each year. Ethnic minority representation across the Defra group is at 7%, representation within the wider Civil Service stands at 15% (during this period).
The EA ethnicity pay gap stands at 4% and has reduced from the previous year by 1.1%. The median pay gap (10.3%) has also decreased by 6.4% in 2022.
Table 9: comparison of the mean and median ethnicity pay gap for 2019, 2020 and 2021
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.1% | 11.3% |
| 2021 | 5.1% | 16.7% |
| 2022 | 4% | 10.3% |
Across the quartiles, BAME representation has increased in the lower quartiles. Compared to the previous year there has been an increase of:
- 1.4% in the lowest quartile
- 2% in the lower middle quartile
BAME representation has decreased in the 2 higher quartiles. Compared to the previous year there has been a decrease of:
- 1.7% in the upper middle quartile
- 2.2% in the highest quartile
Table 10: comparison of how BAME employees were represented across each quartile in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Quartiles | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 4.8% | 3.4% | 5.1% |
| Lower-middle | 4.7% | 2.4% | 5% |
| Upper-middle | 4.3% | 6% | 4.3% |
| Upper quartile | 3.6% | 6.1% | 3.9% |
Table 11: comparison of the percentage of BAME, white and those who did not declare, who received a bonus in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Ethnicity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAME | 78.1% | 87.5% | 85.9% |
| White | 85.6% | 90% | 90.2% |
| Not known | 91.9% | 91.5% | 92.4% |
The mean ethnicity bonus gap widened from 6.4% in 2021 to 7.7% in 2022.
There is no difference in the median bonus gap value for ethnic minority and White employees.
Table 12: comparison of the mean and median ethnicity bonus gap for 2022, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.5% | 0% |
| 2021 | 6.4% | 0% |
| 2022 | 7.7% | 0% |
6.1 Definition of ethnicity and race
In the Equality Act, race can mean your colour, or your nationality (including your citizenship). It can also mean your ethnic or national origins, which may not be the same as your current nationality. For example, you may have Chinese national origins and be living in Britain with a British passport.
Race also covers ethnic and racial groups. This means a group of people who all share the same protected characteristic of ethnicity or race.
A racial group can be made up of 2 or more distinct racial groups. For example:
- black Britons
- British Asians
- British Sikhs
- British Jews
- Romany Gypsies
- Irish Travellers
You may be discriminated against because of one or more aspects of your race. For example people born in Britain to Jamaican parents could be discriminated against because they are British citizens, or because of their Jamaican national origins.
7. Faith and belief pay gap
As of 31 March 2022, 83% of Environment Agency employees made a faith and belief declaration.
75% of people in Defra group and 69% of people in the wider Civil Service made a faith and belief declaration.
Around 34% of our employees, totalling 3,766 people, said they follow a faith or belief. 43% said they did not follow a faith or belief.
The largest faith and belief groups in the EA were Christian (32%).
The EA faith and belief pay gap figure is -2.2% in favour of people who declared a faith or belief. This figure has widened by 0.4% from the previous year.
The median faith and belief pay gap is 0%. This means there is no difference in the median pay gap between people who declare a faith or belief and those who do not.
Table 13: comparison of the mean and median faith and belief pay gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -2.5% | -4.7% |
| 2021 | -1.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | -2.2% | 0% |
Across the quartiles there is a fairly even range of between 36% to 41% of employees with a declared faith or belief. This is broadly proportionate with the number of people who declared having a faith or belief.
Table 14: comparison of how people with a faith or belief were represented across each quartile in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Quartile | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 38.6% | 44.4% | 38.8% |
| Lower-middle | 38.2% | 44.6% | 36.5% |
| Upper-middle | 38.9% | 37.7% | 38.2% |
| Upper quartile | 43.5% | 31.4% | 41.9% |
The mean faith and belief bonus gap has widened from 0.7% in 2021 to -5.6% this year, an increase of 6.3%.
Table 15: comparison of the percentage of employees who either declared a faith or belief, no faith or belief and those who did not declare a faith or a belief, who received a bonus
| Group | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Declared faith or belief | 87.8% | 91.4% | 92.1% |
| No faith or belief | 84.3% | 89.7% | 89.4% |
| Not known | 83.4% | 87.1% | 87.3% |
There is no difference in the median faith and belief bonus gap between people who declare a faith and those who do not.
Table 16: comparison of the mean and median faith and belief bonus gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.3% | 0.7% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | 0% |
| 2022 | -5.6% | 0% |
7.1 Definition of belief
The Equality Act defines ‘belief’ to include any religious or philosophical belief and includes a lack of a particular belief.
The definition of a belief does not include faith or worship of a god or gods, but it must affect how a person lives their life or perceives the world.
A philosophical belief must be genuinely held and more than an opinion. It must be:
- substantial
- serious
- apply to an important aspect of human life or behaviour
A belief must also be worthy of respect in a democratic society and not affect other people’s fundamental rights.
8. Sexual orientation pay gap
As of 31 March 2022, 85% of EA employees made a sexual orientation declaration.
77% of people in Defra group and 70% of people in the wider Civil Service made a sexual orientation declaration.
3.8% of EA employees declared being lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). Sexual orientation representation rates across the Defra group and in the wider Civil Service are at 6.1%.
Our LGB pay gap analysis does not include trans individuals. This is because gender reassignment is a separate protected characteristic in the Equality Act. Our internal characteristic reporting ensures anonymity of people declaring their protected characteristics.
Figures are redacted where there are fewer than 10 people declaring a particular characteristic. With very small numbers of trans individuals, pay gap reporting is unlikely to provide meaningful data.
The EA LGB pay gap currently stands at 6.6%. The gap has reduced from the previous year by 0.5%. The median pay gap figure has also decreased by 2.7% and is presently at 18.2%.
Table 17: comparison of the mean and median sexual orientation pay gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7.7% | 18.3% |
| 2021 | 7.1% | 20.9% |
| 2022 | 6.6% | 18.2% |
Across the quartiles the proportion of LGB employees has increased in the lower 2 quartiles:
- 2.2% increase in lowest quartile
- 2% increase in the lower middle quartile
LGB representation in the upper middle quartile decreased by 0.2% and the upper quartile decreased by 3%.
Table 18: comparison of how LGB employees were represented across each quartile in 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Quartile | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 4.2% | 1.9% | 4.1% |
| Lower-middle | 3.6% | 2.3% | 4.3% |
| Upper-middle | 3.5% | 4% | 3.8% |
| Upper quartile | 2.1% | 5.6% | 2.6% |
The mean LGB bonus pay gap figure (10.4%) has widened from the previous year by 14.6%. In 2021, the LGB bonus pay gap was a negative pay gap in favour of those who declared an LGB background in 2021.
Table 19: comparison of the percentage of employees who either declared to be LGB, heterosexual and employees who did not declare their sexual orientation, who received a bonus
| Sexual orientation | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual | 78.7% | 85.6% | 82.4% |
| Heterosexual | 86.3% | 90.9% | 91.1% |
| Not known | 82.4% | 85.7% | 86.2% |
In 2022, in line with other median bonus pay gaps, there is no difference in the median bonus value for people who declare an LGB background to those who do not.
Table 20: comparison of the mean and median sexual orientation bonus gap for 2020, 2021 and 2022
| Year | Mean | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -2.5% | -3.7% |
| 2021 | -4.2% | -7% |
| 2022 | 10.4% | 0% |
8.1 Definition of sexual orientation
The Equality Act defines sexual orientation as meaning a person’s sexual orientation towards any of the following:
- persons of the same sex (that is, the person is a gay man or a lesbian)
- persons of the opposite sex (that is, the person is heterosexual)
- persons of either sex (that is, the person is bisexual)
By definition, the characteristic of ‘sexual orientation’ covers people from all sexual orientations. This includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual people.
9. Taking actions to close pay gaps
The Environment Agency is committed to creating an inclusive culture where all employees can be themselves and thrive in the workplace.
A priority objective of our people strategy aspires to ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of our organisation.
We aim to ensure our approach to people is:
- truly inclusive throughout the employee life cycle
- maximises opportunities to increase the diversity of our workforce to represent the communities we serve
In May 2022 we launched the Environment Agency equality, diversity and inclusion strategy and action plan for 2022 - 2025.
We are also working in partnership with Defra colleagues and in alignment with the Defra Group Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2020 - 2024.
As an evidence-based organisation data is at the heart of our decisions making process. We continue to encourage staff members to disclose across all protected characteristics. This will provide a more comprehensive picture of the diversity of our workforce.
We are focusing on data points throughout the employee life cycle, from attraction of employees right through to employees exiting the organisation. All these efforts will move us towards being a more inclusive and equitable organisation.
Our action plan will contribute to closing the pay gap across the entire organisation. Our staff networks, people groups and the EA’s EDI team are working collaboratively to embed EDI in everything we do.
9.1 Objective 1: build and develop an inclusive and respectful culture that allows everyone to be their best selves at work
Promote organisational inclusion, tackle bullying, harassment, and discrimination. To achieve this objective we will:
- provide EDI training for new starters to ensure the work on the ‘big conversation on race’ continues to promote a more inclusive culture, ensuring that all staff have ongoing EDI confidence
- develop the capability of leaders, managers, and team members to operate inclusively, respectfully and without bias through blended learning
- promote the refreshed EA cultural framework - building on the work of the Race Action Plan and embed “value difference, include everyone” with clear expectations of positive and unacceptable behaviours
9.2 Objective 2: increase the diversity of our workforce. Recruit inclusively and equitably to enable a more diverse workforce reflective of the communities we serve
To achieve this objective we will:
- make sure all recruitment for roles lasting 6 months or more to be advertised externally as well as internally (permanent and temporary roles)
- make it so all roles at grade 7 or above must have a diverse shortlisting panel and interview panel. Not just on the staff engagement panel
- review targets for protected characteristics when the new census becomes available
- focus on paid apprenticeships, internships, and placements to encourage the intake of younger employees
9.3 Objective 3: ensure equity of opportunity
Make performance, development, progression and pay more equitable across the EA. To achieve this objective we will:
- develop a sponsorship program for those from underrepresented groups. Pilot an initial 2 year program to test effectiveness
- work with employee networks and line managers to improve uptake of employee passports and properly embed workplace adjustments
- continue to report on pay gaps (going beyond statutory gender reporting and extending existing groups to include socio-economic background) and take action to address the underlying causes
- role model flexible working arrangements and create guidance to make business cases for flexible working clearer
- develop a new menopause policy and achieve White Ribbon Accreditation for the EA
9.4 Objective 4: increase our ability to protect and improve the environment for all communities
To achieve this objective we will:
- identify any patterns in environmental inequality for communities by mapping key indicators against socio-economic data - using local pilots to drive practical improvements and submit strong spending review levelling up bids based on successful pilot results
- be an active and positive part of the communities we work in, by using our offices, land, and people to their advantage
- improve outreach/engagement of diverse communities and use equality impact assessment tools to ensure we consider EDI impacts in our decision making
- evaluate and act to ensure social equity is delivered through our work
9.5 Additional actions
We take advice from external experts and best practice organisations. We participate in benchmarking exercises including:
- Business in The Community
- the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index
- Business Disability Forum
We are co-ordinating greater EDI focussed communications and engagement. This approach aims to ensure all employees have better visibility on the challenges faced in achieving fair and equitable outcomes. This highlights actions that we can all support to improve inclusivity and work towards eliminating pay gaps across protected characteristics.
We will continue to:
- champion increased equitable, diverse, and inclusive approaches
- address inequalities faced by different groups through our governance and working with broader Defra group EDI boards
10. Declaration
We confirm that data reported by the Environment Agency is accurate and has been calculated according to the requirements and methodology set out in the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.
Sir James Bevan, Environment Agency Chief Executive
11. Request this report as a PDF
You can request of this report as a PDF by emailing edi.mailbox@environment-agency.gov.uk.