Gender Pay Gap Report

We are an employer required by law to carry out Gender Pay Reporting under the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

This involves carrying out six calculations that show the difference between the average earnings of men and women in our organisation; it will not involve publishing individual employee data.

We are required to publish the results on our website and a government website. This report refers to year ending 5^th April 2025.

We can use these results to assess:

• the levels of gender equality in our workforce
• the balance of male and female employees at different levels
• how effectively talent is being maximised and rewarded.

Gender Pay Reporting requires our organisation to make calculations based on employee gender. We will establish this by using our existing HR and payroll records.

SLM Group

Women continue to be underrepresented within the automotive industry, and this is reflected within our business. The Board is committed to increasing female representation in all areas of the business, with particular focus on senior management and technical roles. One of the key challenges remains attracting women into the motor trade, and we acknowledge the importance of addressing this at both an industry and organisational level, which will require sustained focus over time.

SLM Group regularly reviews its pay structures and remains committed to ensuring that men and women employed in the same roles are paid the same. Our gender pay gap does not arise from differing pay rates for the same roles, but from the overall composition of our workforce at different levels within the business. Our gender pay gap is mainly influenced by the distribution of men and women across the organisation, particularly the lower representation of women in senior management and technical roles.

The group has made progress in reducing its gender pay gap, with the mean gap trend decreasing from 35.1% in 2021 to 14.2% in 2025. The median gap has fluctuated, but still shows overall improvement, standing at 12.6% in 2025. However, the main area of gender disparity in bonus persists, with men more likely to receive bonuses, due to the lower female representation in senior management and technical roles, and although the mean bonus gap has reduced, it still remains too high.  

Overall, while base pay equity is improving, the groups bonus payments continue to be the primary driver of the gender pay gap due to the role imbalance across the Group.

As a business, we aim to provide a working environment where employees are treated fairly, equally and with respect, and where opportunities for development and progression are accessible to all, regardless of gender.

To support progress in reducing our gender pay gap over time, we are taking the following steps:

• Reviewing job advertisements to ensure gender-neutral language is used, with the aim of encouraging applications from a broader and more diverse candidate pool.
• Ensuring company policies, employment contracts, and internal documentation reflect inclusive and gender-neutral language.
• Gathering feedback through regular employee surveys, including questions related to equality and inclusion, and using this feedback to inform workplace improvements where appropriate.
• Increasing the availability of flexible working arrangements where operationally feasible, recognising the potential benefits for attraction and retention.
• Continuing to promote awareness of appropriate workplace behaviour, including sexual harassment prevention, and supporting employee wellbeing and mental health initiatives.
• Recognising International Women’s Day by sharing examples of achievements within the business and the wider industry, with the intention of raising awareness and challenging perceptions of the motor trade.
• Identifying development opportunities for female employees who may wish to progress into more senior roles.
• Providing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training for departmental managers to support fair and consistent approaches to recruitment, development, and progression.

SLM Group will continue to monitor its gender pay data annually and review the effectiveness of actions taken, recognising that meaningful change is likely to be achieved over the longer term.