In 2018, rising public concern about pay inequality prompted the introduction of a revised UK Corporate Governance Code. This initiated reforms to broaden the remit of boards and remuneration committees (RemCos) – which manage executive pay – to ensure they give more attention to associated issues such as culture, fair and proportionate workforce pay and employee engagement.  

Member tool: CIPD Buddy BETA
Experiment with AI to find answers on this topic with our prototype. Login to explore CIPD Buddy

The COVID-19 pandemic has further heightened issues of inequalities in society and the CIPD believes that the value of treating people well, and the associated opportunities and risks, should be central to corporate governance and strategic leadership conversations for organisations of all sizes. 

In 2019, we made the case for organisations to formalise the place of people at the boardroom by evolving their RemCos into people and culture committees. 

The latest report by the CIPD and the High Pay Centre – funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust –  focuses on practical measures that some companies are already undertaking, drawing on interviews with HR leaders, board directors and investors, as well as evidence from case studies. Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach, people professionals can use these examples as a roadmap for change in their own organisations.  

Key insights from the report include the importance of:

  • Engaging the workforce in the pay-setting process, 
  • Formalising people and culture matters as board-level issues (appointing at least one board member with HR experience).
  • Recognising that company performance should be measured in terms of non-financial as well as financial metrics.   

Download the report below

Role of the RemCo: How to achieve good governance of pay, people and culture

Download the report
PDF document 434.4 KB

View our previous report

RemCo reform: Governing successful organisations that benefit everyone

Download the report
PDF document 1.2 MB

More on this topic

Factsheet
Bonuses and incentives

Understand the basics of bonuses and incentives, the trends in their application, and how to design and operate schemes effectively and ethically

For Members
Factsheet
Reward: an introduction

Introduces the basics of reward, which includes pay and benefits, and outlines the UK legal position

Thought leadership
Briefing | After recent claims, where next for equal pay?

Charles Cotton, CIPD senior adviser on pay and reward, explains the recent cases on equal pay claims and explores how you can protect yourself as an employer while also paying people fairly

Policy engagement
Low Pay Commission consultation 2024

Read our submission to the Low Pay Commission regarding the 2024 consultation

More reports

Report
Resourcing and talent planning report

Trend analysis and benchmarking data on recruitment, retention and talent management to inform HR and employers on practice considerations and decision-making

Report
How employers are tackling bullying and harassment at work

Research on whether employers are doing enough to prevent and manage conflict in the workplace

Report
People-powered innovation

The CIPD examines the state of innovation in the UK and its connection with productivity to inform policy-making and investment

Report
Labour Market Outlook

Read our latest Labour Market Outlook report for analysis on employers’ recruitment, redundancy and pay intentions

See all reports