UK Gender & Ethnicity Pay Report 2025

Your questions answered

• What is the purpose of this report?

  The report provides transparency regarding the average pay differences between men and women, as well as between different ethnic groups, across Sodexo’s UK legal entities with 250 or more colleagues. It serves to track progress against the company’s Social Impact Pledge 2030 and identify areas where more work is needed to close disparities in representation and progression.

• What timeframe does the data cover?

  The data used for this report is taken from the pay period containing the snapshot date of 05 April 2025.

• What recognition has Sodexo received for its inclusion efforts?

  For the third year in a row, Sodexo has been recognized in the Social Mobility Employer Index (2024, 2025 and 2026) . The company is also listed among the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality and is an accredited Menopause Friendly and Carer Confident employer.

• Who is included in the report?

  The report covers 27,261 employees and includes Sodexo UK legal entities that employed at least 250 people on the snapshot date of 5th April 2025. Gender pay-gap reporting is a legal requirement for qualifying entities, while Sodexo also reports ethnicity pay gap data voluntarily. 

• What specific actions has Sodexo taken recently to close these gaps?

  Since the 2025 reporting period, Sodexo has:

  • Strengthened family-friendly policies, including enhanced parental leave and the introduction of paid carers leave.
  • Expanded progression pathways through apprenticeships and skills development programs.
  • Widened access to bonuses, particularly for colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
  • Adopted an intersectional approach that addresses gender and ethnicity together to better understand structural drivers of pay gaps

• What are the company's future priorities?

  Looking ahead, Sodexo plans to: 

  • Set clear expectations for progression using intersectional data to understand root causes.
  • Strengthen governance of bonus and reward decisions to remove potential bias.
  • Embed its Culture & Belonging strategy into all aspects of hiring, rewarding, and promoting.