As a new measure aiming to help women thrive in the workplace, the government recently announced voluntary action plans for large employers, starting with the 2026-2027 gender pay gap reporting year.
Through voluntary action plans, large UK employers are being encouraged to publish not only what their gender pay gap is, but also the actions they are taking to reduce the gap. This includes how employers are supporting those experiencing menopause, a topic on which Women in Transport has reported extensively in recent years.
Sonya Byers OBE, CEO, Women in Transport commented:
“The introduction of voluntary action plans marks a significant and welcome step in how we approach gender equity across the UK transport sector. For too long, reporting on the gender pay gap and workforce diversity has stopped at disclosure. Transparency is important but transparency without action does not deliver change.
“Voluntary action plans shift the focus from what the gap is to what organisations are actually doing about it. That matters deeply in transport, a sector where progress on gender equity has been stubbornly slow.
“The 2025 Women in Transport Equity Index shows that women now make up just 27% of the transport workforce and 36% of leadership. Nearly 60% of organisations report a gender pay gap of 11% or more, yet alarmingly, 65% have no action plan in place to address it.
“Voluntary action plans provide a practical framework to close that gap. By encouraging employers to publicly set out evidence-informed actions they create clarity, structure and accountability. Crucially, these plans also recognise that gender inequality is structural, not individual. Issues such as menopause support, caring responsibilities, inflexible roles, opaque promotion pathways and exclusion from operational leadership all disproportionately push women out of transport careers. A meaningful action plan forces organisations to confront these barriers head-on rather than relying on piecemeal initiatives or goodwill.
“While the plans are voluntary at this stage, their public nature is powerful. When action plans sit alongside gender pay gap data, they allow employees, prospective talent, partners and commissioners to see who is serious about change and who is not. Transparency becomes leverage.
“For employers already doing the work, voluntary action plans are an opportunity to formalise and showcase progress, align efforts across teams, and benchmark against best practice. For those at an earlier stage, they provide a clear starting point backed by national guidance and evidence. Either way, they raise the baseline for the entire sector.
“However, voluntary action plans must not become a box-ticking exercise. To be effective, they must be specific, time-bound, and resourced. They should include measurable targets, named accountability at senior level, and a commitment to regular review and evolution. Equity is not a one-year project; it is an ongoing responsibility.
“At Women in Transport, we see first-hand that when organisations adopt structured, data-led approaches to equity, progress accelerates. Flexible working improves retention. Paid parental leave and menopause support reduce attrition at mid-career. Transparent promotion and sponsorship pathways increase the number of women in operational leadership. If we want to attract and retain the talent our industry desperately needs, equity has to be built into how we operate, lead and measure success.
“I encourage transport leaders to see voluntary action plans not as a compliance exercise, but as a strategic opportunity: to lead, to listen, and to act. Because gender equity will not be delivered by reporting alone. It will be delivered by deliberate, transparent and sustained action.”
What do Voluntary Action Plans look like in practice?
The government has already published a list of evidence-informed actions that employers can take to support them in developing their voluntary action plans. Along with menopause support, the themes for these actions cover:
Recruitment
Staff retention and development
Building DEI
Transparency
Large employers can now access a designated user journey on the existing gender pay gap service, allowing them to produce and publish their voluntary action plan. The government has also published step-by-step guidance on completing the process.
The new voluntary reporting will be phased in as part of the initial steps taken under the Employment Rights Act 2025 to allow the government to collaborate with and gather feedback from employers.
Published action plans will be available to the public alongside organisations’ gender pay gap reporting.
What happens next?
Employers can voluntarily produce and publish their first action plan at any time during the 2026 to 2027 reporting year. After action plans become mandatory, employers will then need to review and update their action plans to ensure they evolve over time.
For further insights, Women in Transport produces our annual Equity Index, the UK’s first and only gender benchmark for the transport sector.