[UK] Women continue to receive lower bonuses than men

Women in Britain continue to receive substantially lower bonus payments than men, according to new research, Reuters reports.

The HR data firm Brightmine analysed payroll records for almost 1.5 million employees, as of July 2026, and found that male workers received average annual bonuses of £5,442 compared with £3,062 for women.

The gap narrowed only ⁠slightly from a year earlier.

According to the data, published on September 18, 14 per cent of male employees received a bonus compared with 9 per cent of females, and that disparity widened with age. At 56, men received average bonuses of £8,817 compared with just £3,769 for women.

The professions with the biggest gaps included finance and professional ⁠and business services.

Sheila Attwood - HR insights and data lead at Brightmine - reportedly said the findings suggested differences in progression, seniority and access to higher-value incentive ⁠schemes.

The study - based on payroll data ⁠for almost 1.46 million employees at 1,190 organisations - showed that 13 per cent of employees received a bonus, unchanged from a year earlier

Britain's statistics office estimates that the ⁠gap in overall pay between men and women was 6.9 per cent in April 2025.

Source: Reuters

Women in Britain continue to receive substantially lower bonus payments than men, according to new research, Reuters reports.

The HR data firm Brightmine analysed payroll records for almost 1.5 million employees, as of July 2026, and found that male workers received average annual bonuses of £5,442 compared with £3,062 for women.

The gap narrowed only ⁠slightly from a year earlier.

According to the data, published on September 18, 14 per cent of male employees received a bonus compared with 9 per cent of females, and that disparity widened with age. At 56, men received average bonuses of £8,817 compared with just £3,769 for women.

The professions with the biggest gaps included finance and professional ⁠and business services.

Sheila Attwood - HR insights and data lead at Brightmine - reportedly said the findings suggested differences in progression, seniority and access to higher-value incentive ⁠schemes.

The study - based on payroll data ⁠for almost 1.46 million employees at 1,190 organisations - showed that 13 per cent of employees received a bonus, unchanged from a year earlier

Britain's statistics office estimates that the ⁠gap in overall pay between men and women was 6.9 per cent in April 2025.

Source: Reuters