Month: February 2026

How to improve your gender pay gap: The solution is probably not what you think

How to improve your gender pay gap: The solution is probably not what you think.

February 16, 2026

By Kirsty Smith

The headlines this month have been a sobering reminder for UK business leaders: according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the gender pay gap is on track to persist for another 30 years.

For organisations with over 250 staff, the annual reporting cycle can feel like a repetitive exercise in explaining why progress is slow. But to get ahead of this 2056 prediction, we need to look past traditional recruitment quotas and address a silent driver of the gap: The Gender Health Gap.

The Hidden Economics of Women’s Health

In their “Women’s Health Economics,”  report the NHS Confederation highlighted that absenteeism from menstrual health issues alone costs the UK economy £11 billion a year. That’s because the UK is losing 150 million working days each year due to women’s poor health and a lack of suitable support. Furthermore, roughly 60,000 women are currently out of the workforce entirely due to menopause symptoms.

When we look at the gender pay gap, often what we see is a “seniority gap” as well as the difference in average hourly rate of pay. If women are forced to take more sick leave, reduce their hours, or exit the workforce prematurely due to health conditions like endometriosis or perimenopause symptoms, they cannot progress into the high-earning senior roles. 

As we approach Endometriosis Awareness Month in March, it is vital to recognise that this isn’t just a “wellbeing” topic, it is a performance and compliance one.

A recent employment appeal tribunal reinforced that endometriosis can be classified as a disability under the Equality Act. For sectors where talent retention and gender balance is already a challenge, losing 1 in 10 female employees to a lack of reasonable adjustments isn’t just a shame it’s a commercial failure that will show up in your gender pay gap reporting

3 Ways to Integrate Health and Wellbeing into Your Gender Pay Gap Action Plan

At Natural Rays Wellbeing Consultancy [linked to Directory page], we believe there are three key areas where meaningful workplace wellbeing protects you from discriminatory practices or the structural barriers that contribute to the gender pay gap.

1. Moving from “Reactive” to “Proactive” Support – Traditional sick leave policies and performance review procedures often penalise those with chronic, fluctuating conditions like endometriosis. By implementing flexible working practices that recognise endocrine conditions, menstrual health and menopausal symptoms, you retain the expertise of women who might otherwise feel forced to leave the workforce. Being proactive with your support also enables you to have a joined up approach in your gender pay gap and menopause action plans, which are both requirements under the Employment Rights Bill.

2. Upskilling Managers for Confident Wellbeing Conversations – The biggest barrier to women getting the support they need in the workplace isn’t the lack of investment in the support but a lack of open conversations with line managers. When managers feel ill-equipped to discuss menstruation or menopause, issues escalate into long-term absence and disciplinary procedures. Training your leadership to have non-judgmental, proactive health conversations where they don’t feel like they are over-stepping the mark  is the fastest way to reduce the “health penalty” in your pay data.

3. Data-Driven Wellness – Align your health initiatives with your gender pay gap data. For instance, if your “Upper Middle” pay quartile is where you see the most female under-representation due to attrition, providing peri-menopause support through 1:1 coaching to better manage the various symptoms like anxiety and loss of confidence could be the specific intervention that saves your leadership pipeline.

Looking Toward International Women’s Day (IWD)

This International Women’s Day, the theme of “Inspiring Inclusion” must include health. Inclusion means creating a workplace where the biological reality of being a woman doesn’t become a career ceiling. Take a look at our directory page to see the type of awareness sessions you could run to support IWD 2026. 

Ready to move beyond the report and start seeing results? If you are responsible for staff wellbeing, Inclusion & Diversity, Learning & Development and want to bridge the gap between health and your gender pay gap outcomes, I can help. From manager training to endometriosis-friendly frameworks, we specialise in a strategic and holistic approach to wellbeing that not only supports a happy and healthy workforce but directly impacts your gender pay gap. 

Visit my Directory Page here to see my full range of workshops and manager training sessions.

    Looking for suppliers? let us know.





    How to choose the right coach/ consultant for your organisation

    How to choose the right coach / consultant for your organisation

    February 13, 2026

    By Jess Lorimer

    Making the choice to bring external suppliers into your organisation can be a tricky one. Normally organisations make hiring decisions based on a range of factors with personality fit, current skill set, performance at interview and future potential all being top of mind.

    But hiring an external coach / consultant is different. 

    They’re not going to be part of the organisation on a permanent basis – and so whilst it’s important that they’re a good fit, the focus (and decision making around who to hire) is more strongly rooted in their ability to help the organisation achieve the commercial transformations promised.

    So what should organisations be looking for in external suppliers to ensure that they make the best choice and engage the right provider?

    At The Expert Services Directory, we believe that there are five key elements to engaging the right external provider for your organisation – and if you want to see the range of coaches and consultants that we recommend? Click here and you’ll be able to see the variety of experts working successfully with organisations around the UK.

    Five key elements to ensure you engage the right coaches / consultants in your organisation

    1. Specialist skills: When engaging an external coach / consultant, organisations are often looking for specific skills so that commercial goals can be achieved. When searching for the right external supplier, it’s important to stay focused on the critical specialist skills required rather than looking at their broader skills. With permanent employees, considering wider skills is key to understanding the long-term value that hire could bring… but with external suppliers who are working on specialist programmes / projects of work, it’s more important to ensure that they meet critical skill criteria and that they are using those skills regularly so that your company is able to get faster outcomes.
    2. Stakeholder engagement skills: External suppliers don’t require the same ‘ramp up’ period as permanent employees when it comes to performing within their specialist area of expertise… but engaging a great external provider means ensuring that they’ve got key stakeholder engagement skills so that they’re able to work easily and effectively within the organisation. During the sales process, watch how they engage, track whether they do what they promise (when they promise it!) and assess their soft skills to see whether they’ll be a good fit working with your stakeholders.
    3. Commercial acumen: External providers are often brought in to support organisations to achieve commercially critical goals… and this means that the best providers understand why these goals are critical for the organisation and the wider business case. External providers often have key conversations with senior leadership and you’ll want a provider who is able to demonstrate professional skill alongside commercial awareness to help your organisation hit key milestones and deliverables that matter.
    4. Being invested: The sales process that an external supplier takes you through – matters. When you’re searching for the right external provider to work with your organisation and move into a sales process with a provider? That’s your opportunity to see how they manage expectations, work to timelines and assess their keenness to work with your organisation/ understanding of your brand.
    5. Credentials: Permanent employees are often asked to provide references – in a way that is not expected or the norm for external providers who often work under non-disclosure agreements. During the search / selection process to find the right external provider for your organisation, it’s a good opportunity to ask about their credentials. This doesn’t solely refer to qualifications… Instead, ask about recent projects / programmes of work, challenges other clients have faced before working with them and case studies (if they’re able to share.)

    You might notice that we haven’t written about budget being a major factor when hiring an external supplier. Most organisations have a defined idea of what they want to spend when working with an external provider… and sometimes that can need to change when they start the selection / sales process and understand the skills / experience / credentials needed to source the supplier that is going to work best for the organisation and critical commercial goals.

    The reality around hiring external suppliers is that organisations will pay a premium to source specialist skills, competencies and create a competitive advantage that they wouldn’t achieve without hiring that external supplier and their expertise. This doesn’t mean that organisations should waste time sourcing suppliers that are outside of budget requirements – but it does mean that any external provider should be managing budget expectations early and communicating transparently so that you’re able to understand available solutions that meet all commercial requirements. 

    And if your organisation is looking for coaches / consultants / trainers / speakers or done-for- you service providers? Make sure you take a look at our Directory where we list qualified suppliers who are successfully working with organisations around the UK to achieve commercially critical outcomes.

    We know the skills and competencies we want… but how do we make sure the provider really has them?

    Hiring an external provider can feel tricky because traditional interview processes and references don’t apply. Instead, having sales calls with them is generally the way to assess their true competencies and skills. 

    When hiring an external provider, it’s important to use their sales process to assess:

    • Questioning: What types of questions do they ask you / other decision makers? Do their questions demonstrate the level of critical thinking and commercial awareness that you’re looking to use in your project / programme of work?
    • Credible examples: Are they able to talk competently about their area of expertise and proactively share credible insights or examples that demonstrate their knowledge and skills?
    • Communication: Are they a clear, confident communicator who you would feel comfortable presenting to senior leadership within the organisation? And do they communicate professionally, proactively and productively at all times?
    • Challenge: Are they able to challenge thoughts and perceptions in a courteous and constructive way? Would you be happy for them to hold or lead challenging conversations within the organisation?
    • Expectation Management: Are they able to clearly manage expectations around project scope, pricing and key deliverables? More importantly, do they do what they say they’ll do – when they say they’ll do it during the sales process? Because that gives key indicators as to how they’ll show up during the delivery process.

    If you want to bring qualified, credible experts into your organisation to work on projects / programmes of work that matter? Check out our Directory here and search for specialists who are successfully working with organisations in the UK to achieve critical commercial goals.

    External suppliers

    Top 3 reasons external suppliers are a great choice for 2026

    February 13, 2026

    By Jess Lorimer

    The 2025 business landscape was challenging – and one of the ways it hit organisations hardest?

    Retaining talent. 

    Specifically, retaining great permanent employees during restructuring periods and then having to ask them to add more to their job role, often outside their own area of expertise.

    Sadly, this has led to over three quarters of workers in the UK feeling some degree of burnout and increased pressure due to holding multiple responsibilities and roles… and for companies in the UK, it’s led to a costly increase in stress and burnout related absences.

     But what is the true cost of employee burnout to organisations across the UK?

    Organisations around the UK know that employees across various disciplines are taking on more responsibility in their job role than their original job description stated. This increased responsibility has led to higher levels of burnout and in December 2024, the MHFA released reports to show that work-related mental health issues (including stress and burnout related to roles) was costing the UK economy £57.4 billion per year.

    It’s a staggering statistic… but what does it mean in real-terms for organisations?

    • Increased absence: Most employees suffering with burnout / role related stress are taking in excess of 22 days absence per year; a significant financial cost for organisations in a challenging economic climate.
    • Decreased productivity: With the rise in ‘culture rot’ alongside burnout and role related stress, organisations are seeing a significant increase in presenteeism (lost productivity) with Deloitte estimating a cost of £24 billion to employers annually.
    • Significant attrition in key talent groups: Organisations are being clearer than ever before to make the right hiring decisions (especially with the changes to the Employment Rights Bill) but companies who are hiring talented employees who experience burnout / role related stress are seeing key hires leaving – after the significant recruitment, absence and presenteeism related costs. 

    This stalls key projects, impacts future growth and makes hitting diversity goals even more difficult.

    Essentially, it means that employees who are tasked with too much are burning out and costing organisations around the UK thousands of pounds in associated costs.

    And whilst most organisations know (and are seeing the effects daily), it’s hard for leaders to stop tasking employees with additional workloads when:

    • Strategic plans still need implementing – even if there are fewer employees to make it happen.
    • Targets are higher than ever but also, more commercially important to achieve critical profit milestones.
    • Employees want clear career progression and see taking on new tasks and responsibilities as critical to professional development, rather than understanding how additional workload is impacting their overall performance in their area of specialism.

    Which is where outsourcing / hiring external suppliers can help…

    Usually, the mere mention of hiring an external supplier generates a raised eyebrow and the immediate; ‘What’s the point in hiring an external consultant who’ll just give us the same advice but charge a lot more for it?!’ and honestly?

    Times have changed.

    Smart organisations around the UK have been outsourcing specialist areas of expertise for years – with incredibly successful results. The reality in hiring outsourced talent is that whilst organisations do pay additional costs for external coaches, consultants and trainers, they also benefit hugely from:

    • Access to specialist skills / areas of expertise for specific project work that they don’t have in-house or that their in-house resources are too busy to focus on full time.
    • Not having to pay the same employee related costs associated with permanent headcount – because with an external supplier, there aren’t any National Insurance, sick pay or company benefits package costs. Companies are simply paying them for the skills and experience they need – at the time it’s needed.
    • Increased innovation from external suppliers who are bringing knowledge and experiences from all of the work that they do which helps companies to avoid operating in a vacuum (and brings best practice and fresh ideas to the table)
    • The ability to have permanent staff focusing on core business functions that grow the business and bottom line, rather than developing niche areas of specialism that only benefit the organisation once. 

    And this all leads to companies retaining permanent employees who are able to be more productive by focusing on their core skill sets and generating higher profits as an organisation as a result. If your organisation is interested in looking at specialist providers who can add critical knowledge and support so that permanent staff can focus on their core skills, click here to see our range of specialist providers.

    How can external suppliers add commercial value to organisations in 2026?

    Previously, external suppliers have been seen as a ‘threat’ to permanent staff – which couldn’t be further from the truth. External suppliers should be brought into organisations where their specialist skill set is required (and where organisations don’t have the usual time available to ‘ramp up’ permanent employees.)

    Unlike permanent staff, external suppliers like coaches, consultants, trainers and done-for-you service providers are there to provide specialist skills immediately so that organisations can see immediate benefit, transformation and commercial improvements.

    This means that (good!) external providers are able to:

    • Support organisations with diagnostics to understand the issue(s) that they’re facing in specific areas and suggest solutions that will have immediate commercial benefits.
    • Add expertise and value on starting without any ‘ramp up’ period so that the organisation benefits from quicker results.
    • Use specialist skills to support the commercial transformations that the organisation is looking to achieve.
    • Provide advice and proactively support organisations to avoid obstacles by contributing based on their work within a variety of environments and experiences.
    • Offboard and hand over completed projects to the designated permanent staff member so that the learning outcomes and commercial transformations are fully realised by the organisation.

    What kind of external suppliers could your organisation benefit from using in 2026?

    Historically, organisations have been used to seeing traditional consultants or fractional resources working on key programmes of work. But as the world has changed, so has the variety of external suppliers that organisations are able to benefit from. 

    Whilst it’s not an exhaustive list, the following examples show where external suppliers can add benefit to commercial projects / programmes of work.

    • Executive Coaching: For leaders and top talent to increase performance, retention of key staff and support critical commercial targets.
    • Marketing: Fractional marketing resources to support strategic initiatives and specialist implementation for key programmes of work.
    • Finance: Using fractional finance resource to support commercial growth (including fundraising / raising investment) or training non-financial employees to understand core concepts to boost profit.
    • Change / Transformation: Using consultants / speakers and trainers to provide specialist resource for major change / transformation programmes from scoping through to implementation.
    • Leadership: Using leadership development experts to support new and existing leaders to learn new skills, adapt their leadership style, develop executive presence and support the retention of valued talent.
    • Health and Wellness: Using coaches / consultants / trainers and speakers to develop awareness of key health conditions, give support and advice on reasonable adjustment policies and support organisations to meet legal requirements / obligations.
    • Communications: Using fractional communications resources to support both internal and external communications initiatives.
    • Culture: Using coaches / consultants and speakers to change behaviours, challenge perceptions and make critical culture changes that impact performance, inclusion and leadership.
    • Talent Development: Using coaches / consultants to consult on career development pathways to meet critical staffing targets and inspire and motivate staff to take autonomy over their career goals. 

    (And if you’d like to check out our wide range of coaches, consultants, speakers, trainers and done-for-you service providers, you can look at our Directory here where we list the best external suppliers according to their skillsets and location)

    So what are the top three reasons that organisations should be looking to use external suppliers in 2026?

    If we look at how organisations need to operate in 2026 to ensure high levels of profit and avoiding the loss of top permanent talent through burnout and overwhelm… there are three key reasons that organisations hugely benefit from hiring external suppliers.

    1. Specialist skills: Bringing an external supplier in to fulfil a critical commercial need means that organisations are able to meet business objectives quickly and efficiently – and being able to remove the cost of external suppliers when the specialist skills are no longer needed / programme is complete.
    2. Benefitting from external perspectives: Organisations can avoid costly mistakes and obstacles by using specialist external providers who’ve worked across multiple environments and understand the potential hazards within their area of expertise. This is especially critical when considering that permanent staff are often expected to learn specialist skills alongside their day-to-day role and may not have the same awareness / exposure to potential obstacles that external suppliers will see and handle each day.
    3. Cost reduction: Using external suppliers is a great way for organisations to benefit from specialist skills without increasing permanent headcount costs or paying the associated benefits.

    If your organisation is ready to bring fresh perspectives, best practice and support your permanent staff to focus on their core skills each day but needs specialists to support within key programmes of work? Click here to check out our Directory where you can find expert coaches, consultants, trainers, speakers and done-for-you service providers who work with organisations around the UK in a range of specialisms.

    Why Charity Leaders Don’t Need More Resilience

    February 4, 2026

    They Need Better Support

    Written by Sally Dhillon, Nudge Forward

    “Be more resilient.”

    For charity leaders, this phrase has become background noise — well-intentioned, familiar, and increasingly unhelpful.

    Since the Covid pandemic, resilience has been championed as the answer to everything: uncertainty, pressure, burnout, complexity, change. Leaders have been encouraged to dig deep, push on and adapt — again and again.

    And while resilience matters, many charity leaders I work with are already incredibly resilient.

    The problem is this: resilience has been overplayed, and in some cases, misused. It has subtly shifted responsibility away from systems and support, and placed it squarely on individuals — as if the solution to sustained pressure is simply to cope better.

    In today’s not-for-profit context, that falls short of what leaders and managers need right now.

    THE REALITY CHARITY LEADERS ARE OPERATING IN

    We are no longer in a “crisis period” that will eventually pass.

    Charity leaders are now operating in a permanent state of flux, where external pressures rarely quieten down:

    • Funding is uncertain and increasingly competitive
    • Costs continue to rise
    • Economic and political volatility affects demand, donors and commissioning
    • Regulatory and governance expectations are higher
    • Digital and technological change is accelerating
    • Need and complexity within communities are growing

    This is not about bouncing back to how things were. It’s about leading well in conditions that are continually shifting.

    And that requires more than personal grit.

    If this feels familiar, you can view my listing in the Expert Services Directory to see how I support charity leaders navigating complexity like this.

    WHEN RESILIENCE BECOMES A RISK

    Here’s the uncomfortable truth: when resilience is over-emphasised, it can become a risk.

    It can:

    • Normalise overload
    • Silence leaders who are struggling
    • Discourage reflection in favour of endurance
    • Lead to decision-making from fatigue rather than clarity.

    I regularly meet charity CEOs and senior leaders who are:

    • Holding enormous responsibility with little space to think
    • Supporting teams emotionally while neglecting their own needs
    • Making high-stakes decisions under sustained pressure
    • Quietly questioning how long this pace is sustainable.

    They don’t need another reminder to be resilient.

    They need permission — and support — to pause, reflect and lead intentionally.

    FROM RESILIENCE TO SUPPORTED LEADERSHIP

    What charity leaders need now is a shift from resilience to supported leadership.

    That means creating space for leaders to:

    • Step out of constant reaction mode
    • Think clearly about what matters most now
    • Make grounded, values-led decisions
    • Lead in ways that are sustainable for themselves and their people.

    This isn’t indulgent. It’s essential.

    Because leaders who are supported:

    • Make better strategic decisions
    • Communicate more clearly
    • Model healthier ways of working
    • Are better able to support their teams
    • Stay connected to purpose, not just pressure.

    If leadership sustainability is on your agenda, my Expert Services Directory listing outlines how I work with charities and not-for-profits to create this kind of support.

    PUTTING THE OXYGEN MASK ON FIRST

    The airline analogy is overused — but it remains painfully accurate.

    Charity leaders are often the last to put their own oxygen mask on. 

    There’s always:

    • A funding deadline
    • A staffing issue
    • A safeguarding concern
    • A board paper to write
    • A service under pressure.

    Yet without space to breathe, leaders lose perspective — and perspective is exactly what’s needed to lead well in complexity.

    Safe, structured reflection allows leaders to:

    • Process emotional load
    • Sense-check decisions
    • Reconnect with values
    • Avoid reactive or fear-based leadership
    • Lead their organisations with steadiness and clarity.

    This is not about stepping away from responsibility. It’s about leading with greater intention and impact.

    SUPPORTING PEOPLE, NOT JUST PERFORMANCE

    When leaders are stretched thin, the impact on teams is immediate.

    Managers become transactional. 

    Conversations are rushed. 

    Tensions go unaddressed. 

    Wellbeing becomes a tick-box rather than a lived value.

    Supported leaders are better able to:

    • Hold boundaries compassionately
    • Address performance issues early and clearly
    • Support wellbeing without over-functioning
    • Create psychologically safe environments
    • Develop others, rather than carrying everything themselves.

    In a sector built on care, values and human connection, how leaders lead matters as much as what they deliver.

    LEADING THE MISSION — IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE NOW

    Many charity leaders are asking themselves: “How do we pursue our mission in this context — not the one we wish we were operating in?”

    This is where support becomes strategic.

    Leaders need space to:

    • Reassess priorities
    • Make tough but necessary trade-offs
    • Ensure operations are financially and organisationally sustainable
    • Make smarter use of technology and systems
    • Align impact with resources realistically available.

    This isn’t about lowering ambition. It’s about protecting the mission by leading it wisely.

    If you’re navigating these questions, my Expert Services Directory listing shares how I support leaders to think clearly and act decisively in uncertain conditions.

    WHAT BETTER SUPPORT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE

    Better support for charity leaders isn’t about adding more to their plate.

    It looks like:

    • Confidential coaching spaces for honest reflection
    • Time to think, not just do
    • Practical leadership development grounded in real challenges
    • Support with identity, confidence and decision-making
    • A trusted partner who understands the sector context.

    This kind of support helps leaders move from:

    • Surviving → sustaining
    • Coping → leading
    • Reacting → shaping

    And importantly, it helps them stay in the role — with energy, purpose and perspective intact.

    MOVING FORWARD

    Resilience will always matter. But resilience without support is not a strategy to move you forward.

    Charity leaders don’t need to toughen up.
    They don’t need to absorb more pressure.
    They don’t need to do this alone.

    What they need is space, reflection and support — so they can lead their people well, make smart decisions, and steward their mission responsibly in a complex world.
    If you’re a CEO or People & Culture lead in a charity, social enterprise or not-for-profit organisation and want leadership support that is grounded, values-led and fit for today’s realities, here’s a nudge to view my listing in the Expert Services Directory to learn more about affordable services from Nudge Forward.