Discover the importance of Gender Equality in the workplace with insights from the 2026 report on employer practices and policies.
The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality Insights 2026
The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality is one of the UK’s most established and highly profiled benchmarks of workplace gender equality. For more than two decades, it has recognised employers taking action to create workplaces where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive. Each year, key areas of an organisation’s policies, practices and culture are assessed, helping employers understand what is working, identify gaps and learn from leading practice.
Our Insights Report 2026 reflects the progress employers have made and the challenges that remain, highlighting best practice and the actions organisations can take to advance gender equality at work.
The data from the 2026 applications shows that scores improved across most areas of the assessment, with some of the biggest advances in flexible working, progression and promotion, and support for working parents. However, the data tells a more interesting and nuanced story than simple improvement.
This year’s process revealed that:
Inclusive Cultures became the highest-performing area for the first time, followed by Inclusive Recruitment and Line Management, highlighting the importance of fairness, trust, belonging and accountability in everyday working life.
Flexible Working, Progression and Promotion, and support for Working Parents saw some of the biggest year-on-year improvements.
Equal parental leave remains rare: only 9% of entrants offer equal parental leave to both parents, although 48% are considering introducing it within the next two years.
AI presents both opportunities and risks: all bar one entrant reported using AI in some business functions, while 77% are considering how AI interacts with equality, diversity and inclusion.
Strategy and Objectives, Sexual Harassment and Social Mobility were the lowest-performing areas in 2026, highlighting where further progress is needed.
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