2 Sisters reveals initiatives to improve equality as it publishes its gender pay gap

2 Sisters Food Group, which has processing facilities in Thetford and Flixton, near Bungay, has reported a mean gender pay gap of 9.7% and a median gap of 4.1%.

The median – the figure that falls in the middle of a range when everyone's wages are lined up from smallest to largest – is considered to be a more representative figure as the mean can be skewed by a small number of highly paid employees.

2 Sisters said men and women are paid equally for doing 'equivalent jobs with equivalent experience' and that the gender balance and pay rates for its factory floor teams are 'comparable to UK manufacturing as a whole' – but it added that, like many businesses in the sector, its pay gap is driven by having more men than women in senior roles.

In a report accompanying the figures the company announced new initiatives to improve diversity and opportunities across the business, including more support to facilitate flexible or part time working for senior management, a target for 30% of senior leadership roles to be occupied by women by 2021, a new group-wide 'women in leadership' mentoring programme, and greater inclusion of female candidates in recruitment shortlists (both internally and externally).

Ranjit Singh, president of Boparan Holdings, which owns 2 Sisters Food Group, said: 'I am interested in creating a real culture change on opportunity at our business that will lead the industry. We need to create an environment that works for all employees, both male and female. If we do this, we will see more women succeeding in senior management roles.

'I'm really proud of the extraordinary diversity at 2 Sisters Food Group and I'm determined that we should do everything we can to make ourselves a company where anyone can do well, regardless of their gender.'

All UK companies with more than 250 employees – estimated to be around 9,000 – are required to report their gender pay gap before April 5.