Gender pay gap 2025

What is the gender pay gap?

We are required by law to publish our gender pay gap figures each year. This requirement comes from the Equality Act 2010.

The gender pay gap is a measure of difference between men and women’s average earnings across an organisation. It is expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. These figures take into consideration both part-time and full-time employees.

Having a gender pay gap does not mean we have inequalities of pay between males and females who are doing the same work.

Gender pay gap reporting helps us assess the proportion of males and females at all levels of seniority within an organisation.

The median pay gap figure is the one most often referenced in gender pay gap reporting as this is the one most representative of the experience of the average worker within an organisation. It is not affected by extreme values, such as the changes in earnings of small numbers of very high earners.

The mean pay gap figure, along with the quartile information, can be more useful to show pay gaps occurring because of the spread of representation of males and females. These figures can help us focus our efforts to close the gaps especially when we separate staff and officer payments, as it can make it easier to see where we need to focus our efforts.

Glossary of Terms

Gender pay gap

A comparison between mean and median hourly pay for all women and men within the force. Both full time and part time employees.

Median gender pay gap

This is the difference between the median (middle) value of hourly pay rates (when ordered from lowest to highest) for all men in an organisation, and the median value of hourly pay rates for all women, expressed as a percentage of the median hourly rate for men.

Mean gender pay gap

This is the difference between the mean (average) hourly pay rate for all men in an organisation, and the mean hourly pay rate for all women, expressed as a percentage of the mean hourly rate for men.

Median bonus pay gap

This is the difference between the median (middle) values of bonuses (when ordered from lowest to highest) for all men in an organisation and the median value of bonuses for all women, as a percentage of the median bonus for men.

Mean bonus pay gap

This is the difference between the mean (average) value of bonuses for all men in an organisation and the mean value of bonuses for all women, expressed as a percentage of the mean bonus for men.

25% (quartile) pay distribution

The proportion of men and women in each 25% (quartile) of an employer’s pay structure.

Bonuses

This refers to specific payments applied to roles due to skill set. Particularly for officers the figures reflect that we need to increase the number of females in specialist roles, particularly firearms.

Our results

The report shows the overall gender pay gap figures of the following:

• Gender pay gap (mean and median)
• Gender bonus gap (mean and median)
• Proportion of males and females in each quartile of the organisation’s pay structure
• Proportion of males and females receiving bonuses.

The data

• The figures below are based on a data snapshot taken at 31 March 2025.
• View data from previous years.

• Sussex Police has published its report to the government which highlights an overall median difference of 15.3% for officers and staff. When gender pay is calculated for officers separately to staff our median figures continue to show a more positive gender pay gap at 0% for officers and 4% for staff.
• The median gender pay figure reflects that historically police officer roles have been more popular with men and police staff roles with women.
• As police officer roles are generally higher paid than police staff roles (and despite there being more women working in police staff roles at all levels, including higher paid roles) when staff and officer figures are combined it results in a greater gender pay gap overall. Additionally, whilst we have a higher percentage of females in all pay levels in police staff roles (as shown in our reported pay quartiles) there remains a higher number in entry level police staff roles.
• It continues to be positive that we have increased recruitment of female officers joining as new recruits even though this in the short to medium term has a negative impact on our gender pay gap. Since the majority are joining at the Constable rank (so lower end of officer pay scales where there are greater numbers of roles), in the shorter/medium term this increase in female officers acts negatively on our overall (and officer) gender pay gap and is not offset by increased numbers of female officer promotions due to the smaller numbers of senior roles meaning less impact on the median position.
• We continue to take action to identify and reduce barriers there may be for female officers wanting to move to specialist roles, such as Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU) and Roads Policing Unit (RPU), and for those wishing to progress through the ranks on promotion, to improve our workforce mix, which will improve our gender pay gap.
• Increasing male representation in entry level police staff roles could also help improve our gender pay gap, although we are conscious that having good representation at this level helps us achieve good female representation at all police staff levels due to internal progression opportunities.

Targeted action to reduce the gender pay gap

Since the publication of the 2024 gender pay gap report, Sussex Police has taken steps to make improvements and reduce the gender pay gap, using the toolkits developed by the Government Equalities Commission, along with insights and shared learning from internal sources and other police forces, which include:

Following results of a diversity survey carried out in our Operational Command department, to take forward action targeted to improve the gender mix focusing on the Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU). Open days and awareness days have taken place for these teams and mentors with allies in place in TFU throughout 2025 with positive results.  Other initiatives have been introduced such as improving dedicated breast-feeding facilities and exploring uniform and equipment needs more specifically for female officers.   

Highlighting of positive female role models in different roles in policing has continued during 2025, including of our Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner, the first female Chief Officer in the history of Sussex Police, who was presented with the King’s Police Medal (KPM). The prestigious award acknowledges her vital national work to reduce crime and save lives on Britain’s roads as the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) lead for Roads Policing. 

The 2025 Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) survey was launched to further understand public perceptions and support our efforts to tackle violence against women and girls. Whilst it is focused on seeking feedback from women and girls on their perceptions of safety in public spaces across Sussex, it is part of focused activity to support women and girls feel safe – at home, in public, online and at work.  We understand it’s difficult to reflect on these experiences. If you need support, please visit the Safe Space Sussex website. Within Sussex Police, anyone working for us is encouraged to raise any concerns including via internal reporting tools of any behaviour that causes them to feel uncomfortable so that it can be tackled, including incidents of sexism and sexual harassment.

Inclusion is of high importance to Sussex Police. All equalities information, including for gender, is monitored on a regular basis through various meetings at which improvement actions are agreed and reviewed.  Further Government guidance related to gender pay gap reporting is expected which will be used to consider further consider our approach and improvements targeted towards improving our gender pay gap.