Gender Pay Gap Report

Introduction

In the UK, public, private and voluntary sector organisations with 250 or more employees have to report on their gender pay gaps annually. The reports show the difference between the average earnings of men and women, expressed relative to men’s earnings. If an organisation reports a gender pay gap, it does not mean women are paid less than men for doing the same job, but it does show that, on average, men occupy higher-paying roles than women. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) has voluntarily produced and published ethnicity and disability pay gap data as part of this report, and it has been produced earlier than the March 2025 deadline. Employers must report six different measures, based on a snapshot of pay data on a set date identified within Schedule 1 of The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017. The six measures are as follows:

1. Median Gender Pay Gap
2. Mean Gender Pay Gap
3. Median Bonus Gap*
4. Mean Bonus Gap*
5. Bonus Proportions*
6. Quartile Pay Bands

*Humberside Fire and Rescue Service does not make bonus payments and therefore has no relevant data for measures 3, 4 and 5.

Gender Profile

The Service employed 1097 staff at 31 March 2025. The table below details the gender profile of HFRS.

From the 2021/2022 report and onwards we will not be splitting the gender profile into staff groups (Control, Support and Operational Staff) as we are unable to replicate this data for ethnicity and disability, further in the report, due to the small data set.

The gender profile demonstrates that there is a significantly higher proportion of men overall employed in the Service. We have a far larger volume of Operational roles within the Service and currently those roles are more commonly occupied by men. Women make up the larger proportion of staff in Support and Control roles.

Gender Pay Gap and Equal Pay

The gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between the average earnings of men and women (irrespective of seniority).  Equal pay is our legal obligation as an employer to ensure men and women receive equal pay for equal work. 

It should be noted that an organisation can have a gender pay gap without breaching equal pay provisions.

Our gender pay gap is not as a result of equal pay issues. We have a gender-neutral approach to pay across all levels of the organisation. For Firefighter and Control roles, terms and conditions are nationally negotiated, (known as the Grey book) using role maps, which results in nationally agreed pay scales.  Support roles are determined locally for both pay and terms and conditions, using an accredited job evaluation scheme which is based on the Local Government Scheme (known as “Green Book”). 

Gender Pay Gap Mean hourly rate

The mean hourly rate is the average hourly wage across the entire organisation, so the mean gender pay gap is a measure of the difference between women’s mean hourly wage and men’s mean hourly wage.

The mean hourly rate:

• Male = £18.32
• Female = £17.10
• Gender Pay Gap = 6.69%

The gender profile demonstrates that there is a significantly higher proportion of men overall employed in the Service. There has been a steady increase in women joining the Service overall in the last eight years, but this year shows a slight reduction by 1.52% this year compared to last year. This is despite five female Firefighters joining the Service in 2024 as part of our Full-Time Firefighter process. 

There is a far larger volume of Operational roles within the Service, and those roles are still more commonly occupied by men. Women make up the larger proportion of staff in Support and Control roles.

Gender Pay Gap Median hourly rate

The median hourly rate is calculated by ranking all employees from the highest paid to the lowest paid, and taking the hourly wage of the person in the middle; so the median gender pay gap is the difference between women’s median hourly wage (the middle paid woman) and men’s median hourly wage (the middle paid man).

The median hourly rate:

• Male = £17.30
• Female = £16.34
• Gender Pay Gap = 5.55%

The difference between women’s median hourly wage (the middle paid woman) and men’s median hourly wage (the middle paid man), which is £0.96, which is higher than the £0.83 median pay difference reported last year.

Quartiles

Pay quartiles are calculated by splitting all employees in an organisation into four even groups according to their level of pay. Looking at the proportion of women in each quarter gives an indication of women's representation at different levels of the organisation. The data identifies that woman within HFRS occupy 17.88% of the highest paid jobs. This is a slight reduction from the 18.44% from last year but there has been a slight increase in women in the upper middle quartile to 12.04% from 8.86% last year. The lower middle quartile shows an increase in women occupying roles with this pay quartile, from 15.50% last year to 23.72% this year. The lower quartile shows a reduction in women occupying this pay quartile, from 43.33% last year to 32% this year. 

Whilst recognising the proportion of women in the lower quartile has reduced from 43.33% to 32%, there is positive movement of women into higher paid quartiles, reflecting improving representation across the organisation. The Service will continue to focus on its positive attraction activities to address the reduction. 

Ethnicity Pay Gap

The information provided in this report accounts for any employee in paid full remuneration as at 31 March 2025. White (Other) includes British, English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, Irish, Gypsy or Irish Traveller, Irish and Other. Ethnic Minorities include Black or Black British, Mixed and Other. (In the table below staff members who have not stated their ethnicity have not been included in the calculations for the mean and median pay gaps, they have however been included in the pay quartile calculations.

The ethnicity profile demonstrates that there is a significantly higher proportion of white and white other employees in the Service.

Ethnicity Pay Gap Mean hourly rate

The mean hourly rate is the average hourly wage across the entire organisation, so the mean ethnicity pay gap is a measure of the difference between white/white others mean hourly wage and ethnic minorities mean hourly wage. The data demonstrates that there is a difference of £0.72 which is a slight decrease from the previous year when it was £0.85.

The ethnicity profile demonstrates that there is a majority proportion of ‘white’ and ‘white other’ employees in the Service. There has been a slight reduction in the percentage of ethnic minority staff from 1.84% last year to 1.73% this year. This was attributable to the expiry of a fixed‑term contract and a subsequent voluntary resignation.

The mean hourly rate:

• White/White Other = £18.12
• Ethnic Minorities = £17.40
• Not Stated = £16.80
• Ethnicity Pay Gap = 3.98%

Ethnicity Pay Gap Median hourly rate

The median hourly rate is calculated by ranking all employees from the highest paid to the lowest paid, and taking the hourly wage of the person in the middle; so the median gender pay gap is the difference between ethnic minority staff groups median hourly wage (the middle paid ethnic minority staff member) and the white/white other staff groups median hourly wage (the middle paid white/white other staff member). The data shows there is a difference of £0.01 which is a improvement on last year’s figure of £0.34.

The median hourly rate:

• White/White Other = £17.20
• Ethnic Minorities = £17.20
• Not Stated = 0
• Ethnicity Pay Gap = 0%

Quartiles

Pay quartiles are calculated by splitting all employees in an organisation into four even groups according to their level of pay. Looking at the proportion of ethnic minority staff in each quarter gives an indication of ethnic minority staff representation at different levels of the organisation. The data identifies that those declared ethnic minority staff within HFRS occupy 1.46% of the highest paid jobs (down from 1.47% last year) and 2.18% of the lowest paid jobs (down from 2.58% last year). This indicates broadly stable representation across pay levels, with only slight shifts compared to the previous year.

Disability Pay Gap

The information provided in this report accounts for any employee in paid full remuneration as at 31 March 2025. Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 is 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 disability profile demonstrates that there is a significantly higher proportion of staff who have not declared a disability than those that have.

(*Staff members who have not stated their disability status have not been included in the calculations for the mean and median pay gaps, they are however included in the pay quartile calculations.)

Disability Pay Gap Mean hourly rate

The mean hourly rate is the average hourly wage across the entire organisation, so the mean disability pay gap is a measure of the difference in mean pay between staff that have declared a disability and those that have not. The disability profile demonstrates that there is a significantly higher proportion of staff who have not declared a disability than those that have.  The number of staff with a declared disability has increased slightly from last year from 5% to 5.83%, however the number of not stated has increased from 9% to 11.12%. The guidance around reasonable adjustments and the introduction of a reasonable adjustment passport process will help increase disability disclosure in the longer term. 

The data demonstrates that when comparing mean hourly wages there are more staff who have declared a disability in higher pay quartiles than those who have not. The Service will continue to raise the profile of its Reasonable Adjustments passport initiative as well as the support available from an external neuro-diversity specialist, sourced by the Service to specifically support neurodivergent staff.  

The mean hourly rate:

• No Disability declared = £18.19
• Disability declared = £19.37
• Disability Pay Gap = -6.53%

Disability Pay Gap Median hourly rate

The median hourly rate is calculated by ranking all employees from the highest paid to the lowest paid, and taking the hourly wage of the person in the middle; so the median disability pay gap is the difference between the median hourly wage of staff who have declared a disability (the middle paid staff member who has declared a disability) and the median hourly wage of staff who have not declared a disability(the middle paid staff member who has not declared a disability). The data indicates a favourable position, with the disability pay gap remaining negative. This reflects the fact that a greater proportion of employees who have declared a disability are represented within the higher pay quartiles. The Service will continue to promote clear and accessible communications regarding the support available to colleagues with a disability, ensuring ongoing awareness and visibility of this provision. In addition, the HR team will continue to equip and guide managers, so they are fully informed of the support mechanisms and confidentiality processes in place, thereby fostering an environment in which employees feel confident and supported in disclosing a disability.

The median hourly rate:

• No Disability declared = £17.30
• Disability declared = £19.07
• Disability Pay Gap = -10.21%

Quartiles

Pay quartiles are calculated by splitting all employees in an organisation into four even groups according to their level of pay. The data identifies that staff who have declared having a disability within HFRS occupy 10.58% of the highest paid jobs and 3.64% of the lowest paid jobs. 

Closing the Pay Gap

The Service’s gender pay gap data demonstrates that, while meaningful progress takes time, the overall trend remains positive, with a clear narrowing of the gap. The Service is committed to sustaining this progress by further strengthening its positive attraction initiatives in support of the recruitment and progression of all underrepresented groups, particularly women and individuals from diverse heritage backgrounds. 

This commitment is reflected through continued investment in development opportunities such as the Women in the Fire Service weekend, the creation‑ of a dedicated team focused exclusively on positive attraction, and the ongoing work of staff forums including Voices for Women and Voices for Disability. 

The Service’s Community Engagement Community, formerly the Community Interview Panel, plays an essential role in reaching and engaging underrepresented communities. Collectively, these initiatives, underpinned by the Service’s wider commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, contribute to a thriving and inclusive workforce with a strong focus on improving representation across all levels of the organisation.

The Service’s Portfolio Process is a structured, evidence based approach  designed to support the attraction, development and retention of skilled and capable employees across the Service. It focuses on evidence of capability, behaviours and potential, rather than relying solely on performance in a single assessment event. This structure reduces barriers that can disproportionately affect certain groups and supports a fairer, more transparent system

Our ethnicity pay gap is slightly smaller than our gender pay gap. However, it has shown a slight increase in both last two years along with a slight reduction in our ethnic minority staff.  The Service remains committed to strengthening the recruitment, retention and progression of ethnic minority staff and the creation of a bespoke positive attraction team will ensure that its workforce better reflects the diverse communities it serves and continues to benefit from the richness of varied backgrounds and perspectives.

Our disability pay gap continues to be negative, which is a highly encouraging indicator of the strong representation and progression of disabled staff across the Service. As the Service looks to build on this positive position, it recognises the importance of continuing to foster an environment where all staff feel confident and supported to share their own requirements. Continuing to strengthen trust in this area will ensure staff are confident in accessing the wealth of support mechanism available, a reflection that the Service is committed to inclusivity and equitable opportunity for all.