Gender Pay Reporting (April 2025 – reporting April 2026)

At HIDDEN HEARING LIMITED, we remain committed to creating a workplace where all colleagues can thrive and progress, regardless of gender. Our 2025–26 gender pay gap data shows that women continue to be strongly represented across the organisation; however, a significant proportion remain concentrated in our lower and lower-middle pay quartiles (86–87%), while only 44% of roles in the upper quartile are held by women. This distribution continues to influence both our median pay gap and our bonus gap.

Snapshot Date: April 2025

• Total Headcount: 650 employees
• Gender Distribution: 69% of the workforce are females. Registered Hearing Aid Dispensers is our largest group of employees – we have 256 HADs are who are split 50:50 male female.
• Pay Structure: We have two standard pay packages for HADs who paid a basic salary plus commission based on productivity. The second package replaced the first for all dispensers employed after April 2017.

2025 Update:

• Hearing Aid Dispensers - The percentage of female dispensers (our largest employee grouping) increased from 45% to 50% compared to 2024. Most female dispensers have a lower average length of service and are on the new package.
• Operating Manager Group (Sales) - 56% female

• Branch Coordinators - Basic pay with a standard productivity scheme. 98% of the Branch Coordinators are female. There has been no change in percentage despite efforts to attract a more even gender mix by changing the role title and screening recruitment advertisements for gender-biased language.

Gap Analysis

• Productivity: Male dispensers were, on average, more productive and earned more commission. Five female dispensers were among the top 20 salespeople.
• Board Composition: 5 members (4 male, 1 female). The company remains mindful of the need for gender balance at all levels and from October 2025, the split is now 4 members 2 male and 2 female.

Upper Quartile Pay Range Female Employees: 41% of the top 25% of earners a slight decrease from 45% in 2024.

2025 Gender Pay Gap

What the change shows

Upper quartile (–1 pp)
Women's representation dipped slightly at the highest pay levels, from 45% to 44%. This indicates that progress into the top earnings band has not yet improved year-on-year.

Upper-middle quartile (+8 pp)
The most significant movement is here: an increase from 49% to 57%. This suggests more women are moving into better-paid roles just below the top tier, which is a positive sign for future upper-quartile gains.

Lower-middle (+1 pp) and lower quartile (+3 pp)
Women continue to be heavily concentrated in lower-paid roles, and this concentration has increased further.

This reinforces that structural representation remains a major driver of the gender pay gap.

Strategic Actions to Address the Representation and Bonus Gaps

1. Strengthen Mobility From Lower-Paid to Higher-Paid Roles
(Addresses the high share of women in the lower-middle and lower quartiles: 86% and 87%.)

Actions:

• Develop structured career-pathway maps Make progression routes for entry-level or lower-paid roles clear, visible, and achievable, with signposted training and experience requirements.
• Pilot job-shadowing and rotational assignments Allow women to gain exposure to higher-skill or higher-responsibility roles, reducing experience barriers to advancement.
• Improve internal mobility processes Introduce guaranteed interview schemes for women who meet minimum criteria for progression-track roles.

2. Enhance Recruitment and Early-Career Interventions

Actions:

• Balanced shortlisting requirements Require gender-balanced shortlists for all senior and progression-track roles.

• Review job adverts for hidden barriers Ensure language, criteria, and flexibility expectations do not deter female applicants.
• Provide recruitment training for less experienced managers and continue unconscious bias training roll out.

Summary
The data shows a positive upward shift in women entering the upper-middle quartile but a stall at the top and deepening concentration at lower levels. These specific, targeted actions are designed to:

• Move more women from the upper-middle into the upper quartile
• Create real mobility pathways out of the lower-paid quartiles
• Continue reducing the bonus gap through fairness and consistency
• Ensure long-term accountability and transparency

Together, these measures aim to reduce the structural drivers of the gender pay gap and create sustained, measurable progress year-on-year.

Claire Pearson
Managing Director