Analysis by Sophie Rhone found that women are concentrated in the lowest-paid roles across many UK employers. The review covered gender pay gap submissions from 37 organisations.

The findings suggest pay gaps are driven less by men and women being paid differently for the same work, and more by who progresses into senior, better-paid roles. In several cases, employers with largely female workforces still recorded wide gaps because women were concentrated in the lower pay quartiles.

Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust was among the starkest examples in the dataset. It reported a median gender pay gap of 52.9%, with women concentrated in lower-paid roles and higher-paid posts more likely to be held by men.

A similar pattern appeared in education and charitable organisations. At Cascade Multi Academy Trust, women accounted for more than 90% of the lowest-paid roles, while at Age UK they made up more than 80% of the lowest pay quartile.

At the top

Male-dominated industries also showed imbalance, but at the other end of the pay scale. At Wessex Eagle, HSL Compliance and Andrew Scott, more than 90% of employees in the highest-paid quartile were men.

The analysis also highlighted differences in bonus payments. City of Bath College reported a 100% bonus gap, meaning men received all bonus value during the reporting period.

Some employers diverged from the broader trend. Country Court Care Homes was among a small number of organisations reporting a reverse pay gap, with women earning more on average than men.

These cases were limited. Across most of the organisations examined, men still came out ahead on average pay measures.

Progression issue

Rhone said the figures pointed to a wider workplace problem around advancement.

“The gender pay gap isn’t just about pay. It’s about who gets access to the highest-paid roles.”

What this data shows is that women are more likely to be concentrated in lower-paid positions, while men are more likely to progress into roles where salaries, bonuses and progression opportunities sit,” said Sophie Rhone, founder of Cupid PR.

She said the pattern persisted even where women formed most of the workforce.

“Even in organisations where women make up the majority of the workforce, that imbalance does not disappear. It simply shifts higher up the ladder. If businesses want to close the gap, they need to look at progression, not just pay,” Rhone said.

Gender pay gap reporting is mandatory for UK employers with 250 or more staff. The median pay gap compares midpoint earnings and is generally seen as less distorted by very high or very low salaries than the mean.

The figures add to a longstanding debate over whether representation alone changes pay outcomes. In the organisations examined, having more women in the workforce did not necessarily produce a narrower gap. In some cases, women remained heavily concentrated in lower-paid jobs.

That pattern was especially visible in sectors often regarded as female-heavy, including education, care and charities, where the data showed a large share of women in the bottom earnings quartile.

By contrast, construction, compliance and other male-dominated sectors showed men occupying most of the highest-paid roles. The distribution across quartiles suggests that progression and access to senior posts remain central to the overall gap.

At City of Bath College, the bonus figures offered a separate measure of disparity, with men receiving all bonus value during the reporting period.

Parallax has hired 30 new employees in Leeds after adding 25 clients over the past year.

The appointments were made in the first quarter of 2026 in response to rising demand for the technology consultancy’s services. The new starters include designers, full stack engineers, and product and delivery specialists.

It marks the business’s largest period of growth to date. Artificial intelligence is now its fastest-growing area, and the new hires will support client projects in environmental technology, gaming, financial services and logistics.

In addition, Parallax has also recruited staff with 3D rendering experience as it expands its work in that field. Senior hires include Jamie Manson and Tom Parrish, who have joined as Principal Tech Leads.

Both have previously managed engineering teams of more than 50 people and are expected to lead new client accounts. Their arrival is part of a wider hiring push across technical and delivery roles.

Leeds talent

Three of the 30 new hires joined in graduate or internship roles through the company’s links with University Technical College Leeds and the University of Leeds.

Three additional university graduates are scheduled to commence their professional tenures later this calendar year, following their successful participation in the Parallax-sponsored Leeds Hack event held this past February.

This recruitment initiative constitutes a significant component of the organization’s strategic endeavor to cultivate burgeoning early-career talent and preserve specialized technical proficiencies within the local metropolitan area.

This comprehensive expansion of the workforce coincides with Leeds’ ongoing maturation as a preeminent regional center for technological innovation.

Statistical investigations conducted by The Data City indicate that the region’s technology sector has been expanding at a rate 125% more accelerated than the national mean, with specialized technical positions proliferating by 46% throughout the most recent reporting periods.

That expansive economic environment has empowered local enterprises to compete more effectively for high-caliber personnel while simultaneously undertaking a greater volume of projects for both domestic and international clientele.

For Parallax specifically, this latest sequence of appointments follows the announcement of what the firm characterized as its most substantial financial projections in the history of its operations.

Sophie Fletcher, Commercial Director at Parallax, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for Parallax as we reach a real inflection point in our growth. We’re winning work with ambitious international clients, including unicorn companies, and tackling complex challenges that require deep technical expertise and the ability to learn and adapt quickly, bringing insights from rapidly emerging technologies. That’s exactly the space we want to operate in, and it’s driving the kind of talent we’re bringing into the business.

“We’re also proud to be creating opportunities for people in Leeds and playing a part in strengthening the city’s tech ecosystem.”

A Sutton Courtenay householder, who asked not to be named, said he has been enduring sewage invading his land and the surrounding footpaths for the past five years.

This has now prompted the UK’s largest water company to apologise.

A spokesperson said: “We apologise to residents of Sutton Courtenay who have experienced sewer flooding due to water ingress that has been caused by the heavy rain the county experienced at the beginning of the year. 

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“Sutton Courtenay is highly susceptible to sewer flooding and flooding in general due to a combination of factors including its location in a low-lying valley, extremely high groundwater levels and runoff which then contribute to hydraulic overload.  

“Following reports of sewer flooding, our teams have historically and continue to attend the area to investigate the source of the problem as soon as it is reported.”

Sewage discharged along the path and into a neighbouring property in Sutton Courtenay (Image: Public)

This comes after the man said that when it rains he “always gets foul smelling liquid spurting up through the manhole cover which leaves raw sewage in the road and on the paths and in my drive”.

Villagers have also had a major discharge when it hadn’t rained, and he said that locals often have to clean toilet paper and other objects from the village path.

Speaking in March, he added: “I regularly get raw sewage pouring out of the manhole cover polluting the footpaths and pouring into my property.”

Sewage discharged along the path and into a neighbouring property in Sutton Courtenay (Image: Public)

The man claims the issues began five years ago when Thames Water connected some new houses to the sewage system outside his property.

The road still bears the marks of Thames Water’s work with the man calling it a “nightmare”.

He added: “These shouldn’t have been connected under this manhole cover as it also the point where a pump station connects.

“They should have connected it elsewhere or spent the money to widen the sewage pipe.

A recent overflow from the Sutton Courtenay manhole (Image: Public)

“Thames Water state that there is nothing that can be done as it’s just due to heavy rain. 

“However it happens when it hasn’t been raining and surely, it’s not right that sewage should squirt up out of the manhole cover.”

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Thames Water pointed out that development matters ultimately fall within the local authority’s remit but said they were looking at a longer-term solution.

The spokesperson added: “For the time being to mitigate flooding and protect homes and the environment, the village is currently on a recurring maintenance regime for sewer cleaning.

“This ensures our assets remain free of debris and other materials so if any issues occur, they can be addressed promptly.

“To date, no blockages have been identified. However, due to the complexity of the issue investigations will continue to identify a long-term solution.”