WiPA’s Pay and Progression Toolkit
Welcome to WiPA’s Pay & Progression Toolkit.
Our Pay & Progression Toolkit brings together a series of practical guides designed to support both employees and employers in creating a more transparent, inclusive and supportive public affairs profession.
Since 2024, WiPA has published three guides covering pay negotiation, employer best practice and parental leave. Together, these resources build on our annual member research, turning insight into practical action for individuals and organisations across the public affairs sector.
Whether you’re looking to navigate your own career with confidence or strengthen your organisation’s workplace policies, our toolkit provides practical advice, recommendations and examples of best practice.
Our Toolkit
Pay Negotiation Guide (2024)
Our first guide provides practical advice to help women prepare for salary and promotion conversations, understand their value and negotiate with confidence.
Download the Pay Negotiation Guide
Employer Guide (2025)
Developed in response to WiPA’s annual survey, our Employer Guide sets out practical recommendations to help organisations improve pay transparency, retention and career progression for women working in public affairs.
NEW Parental Leave Guide (2026)
Building on findings from WiPA’s 2026 member survey, the Parental Leave Guide provides practical guidance for employees preparing for parental leave, alongside ten recommendations to help employers better support women before, during and after parental leave.
Developed in collaboration with WiPA members, employers and our Senior Advisory Committee, the guide brings together examples of best practice from across the profession and demonstrates how relatively small changes can make a meaningful difference to retention, progression and workplace culture.
Our 2026 member survey
Earlier this year, WiPA’s annual member survey highlighted that parental leave remains one of the biggest concerns facing women working in public affairs.
The research found that:
53% of women say parental leave benefits are important when applying for a new role.
56% believe taking maternity leave negatively affects women’s career progression.
77% say financial security is the most important aspect of parental leave policies.
While many employers have made significant progress in recent years, our members told us there is still more to do to ensure women feel supported throughout their parental leave journey.
WiPA’s Parental Leave Guide responds directly to these findings by moving the conversation from identifying challenges to sharing practical solutions. The guide sets out ten recommendations for employers alongside practical advice, statutory guidance and real- world case studies that organisations of all sizes can learn from.
We hope this latest addition to our toolkit encourages employers across the profession to continue raising the bar on parental leave support and gives women the confidence to navigate parental leave knowing they can thrive both professionally and personally.
WIPA 2026 SURVEY RESPONDENTS ON PARENTAL LEAVE AND IMPACT ON progression
“I feel it could affect my progression opportunities compared to male colleagues at a similar level to me if management knew I was considering having children in the near future.”
“I know for a fact that I wasn’t promoted due to being pregnant. We were talking about my frustration at the lack of promotion opportunities and he said “well, you know you likely would have been earlier this year if it hadn’t been for… you know” and made a gesture towards my stomach.”
“I was passed over for a promotion a few years ago and they subsequently offered the role to an external male candidate who was younger and less qualified than I was.”
Our commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion
WiPA is committed to building a network that is genuinely open to all women, regardless of ethnicity, socio-economic background, disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, caring responsibilities, or where in the UK they are based. We believe that an intersectional approach, one that recognises how overlapping identities shape women's experiences, is essential to making that commitment real. Download our full Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy here.
Further Resources
Harvard Kennedy School Guides
Women in Public Affairs (WiPA) is a private company limited by guarantee. WiPA does not provide lobbying services and does not represent the interests of third-party clients. All advocacy undertaken by WiPA or its representatives is issue-based and focused solely on advancing WiPA’s mission to promote pay transparency, inclusive recruitment, and fair progression in the public affairs sector. WiPA is a non-partisan organisation and does not endorse or support any political party, candidate, or government official.