{"id":8833,"date":"2024-10-02T02:15:11","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T02:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=8833"},"modified":"2026-10-19T10:44:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T10:44:29","slug":"class-ceiling-financial-services","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-strategy\/dei\/class-ceiling-financial-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Cracks emerge in financial services&#8217; &#8220;class ceiling&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f85887e8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-929090b5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">by <strong>Personnel Today<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cracks are starting to form in the UK financial service sector&#8217;s &#8220;class ceiling&#8221;, with the number of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in senior positions showing a small increase.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New research from Progress Together revealed the figure rose from 26% in 2023 to 28% this year, but highlighted more work needs to be done to reduce the industry&#8217;s class divide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Shaping the Sector Report discovered that socio-economic diversity reduces with seniority, finding 58% of senior level employees are from a higher socio-economic background, compared with 45% in junior roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the research, the number who studied at independent schools is also greater among senior staff, at 21% versus 6.5% nationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, white men from higher socio-economic backgrounds are 33 times more likely to hold senior financial services roles than ethnic minority women from a lower socio-economic background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sophie Hulm, CEO at Progress Together, said: &#8220;Senior leaders in this critical sector create organisational cultures that shape societal standards about the ownership of capital \u2014 and guide the investment of personal and business assets. Appointments to these roles should be based wholly on competence and efficacy \u2014 rather than on factors related to background.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The membership organisation, which represents 55 companies, is urging the FCA and PRA to make collecting and reporting socio-economic background data mandatory. It has also set out a list of recommendations which it believes will help create a more socio-economically diverse sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This includes: setting goals and being accountable for change, exploring the relationship between socio-economic background and performance, developing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/solutions\/attract-retain-talent\/\">talent<\/a> and leadership programmes, implementing policies and approaches that measure and ensure greater equality in work\/client\/project distribution by socio-economic background, exploring the experiences and perspectives of employees to help inform action and engaging with executive search firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hulm added: &#8220;Achieving lasting change in this important area is a marathon, not a sprint. We are grateful to our members for submitting their data and for their continued efforts to improve access and opportunities for everyone in one of the UK&#8217;s most strategically important sectors. However, there is still a huge amount of work to do to ensure that people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are not excluded from progressing to the highest levels of the UK financial services sector.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--secondary-gray);border-left-width:2px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained wp-container-1 is-position-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-bleach-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-22a7c014 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 id=\"h-navigate-hr-complexity-with-confidence\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:500\">Navigate HR complexity with confidence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Brightmine, you can build powerful people strategies, implement best practices and set your organisation up for a brighter future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn how our tools, resources and automation can empower you and your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/uk\/solutions\/?intcmp=cta|blog|solutions|learn-more\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"#top\">Go back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f1e3dc65 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 id=\"h-you-may-also-be-interested-in\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">You may also be interested in&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n<section id=\"resources-search-filter\" class=\"wp-elements-1a99c58b114097d7ed01b37dda17e8f9 wp-block-brightmine-resources-filter has-text-color has-primary-gray-color has-background has-primary-white-background-color\">\n\n\n<div class=\"ajax-filter\">\n<div class=\"lnrs-resources-search-filter   \">\n\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_bottom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_left\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_result_count\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_right\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"loader-container\">\n\t\t<span class=\"loader\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-filter-widget__container\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #f3f2f0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/discrimination\/sick-pay-reasonable-adjustment\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/16125822\/hybrid-employee-calling-in-sick-1200x627px.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"sync\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/lnrs-resources-filter\/assets\/images\/category-flag.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category_icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">FAQ<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/discrimination\/sick-pay-reasonable-adjustment\/\">Does an employer have to continue paying a disabled employee full pay as a reasonable adjustment when they are off work sick?<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #202526\">Enhanced sick pay is not normally required as a reasonable adjustment. 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Exceptions can apply where working conditions &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #f3f2f0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employee-privacy\/gdpr\/employee-data-subject-access-rights\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/17100753\/colleagues-analyzing-data-on-laptop-and-tablet-at-desk.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"sync\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/lnrs-resources-filter\/assets\/images\/category-flag.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category_icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">FAQ<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employee-privacy\/gdpr\/employee-data-subject-access-rights\/\">What data subject access rights do employees have under the UK GDPR?<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #202526\">Employees can request access to their personal data under the UK GDPR. 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