Read more about work on the Fairness Foundation website
Index indicators
Browse all indicators
Executive pay
Executive pay
Equal pay
Equal pay
Low pay
Low pay
Additional statistics
Browse all statistics
Arguments
Browse all ‘substance’ arguments
High levels of inequality lead to low levels of social mobility
High levels of inequality lead to low levels of social mobility
Income inequality is high by historical and European standards 
Income inequality is high by historical and European standards
Many high earners are paid unreasonably large amounts of money
Many high earners are paid unreasonably large amounts of money
People from poorer backgrounds earn less money
People from poorer backgrounds earn less money
Poor quality work undermines people’s physical and mental health
Poor quality work undermines people’s physical and mental health
There is little relationship between merit and reward
There is little relationship between merit and reward
Too many people are on low incomes and in insecure work
Too many people are on low incomes and in insecure work
Cited policy reports or articles
Browse all cited publications
‘We are drowning in insecurity’: young people and life after the pandemic
Financial Times
‘We are drowning in insecurity’: young people and life after the pandemic
April 29, 2021
Financial TimesBroken Ladders: The Myth of Meritocracy for Women of Colour in the Workplace
Runnymede Trust
Fawcett Society
Broken Ladders: The Myth of Meritocracy for Women of Colour in the Workplace
May 25, 2022
Runnymede TrustFawcett SocietyCEO pay survey 2022: CEO pay surges 39%
High Pay Centre
CEO pay survey 2022: CEO pay surges 39%
August 22, 2022
High Pay CentreChildcare costs and poverty
Childcare costs and poverty
Social Market Foundation
July 21, 2022
Social Market FoundationCovid-19 and Insecure Work
Trades Union Congress
Covid-19 and Insecure Work
April 16, 2021
Trades Union CongressGood Work Index 2022
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Good Work Index 2022
June 20, 2022
Chartered Institute of Personnel and DevelopmentHigh Pay Centre analysis of FTSE 350 pay ratios
High Pay Centre
High Pay Centre analysis of FTSE 350 pay ratios
May 23, 2022
High Pay CentreHigher education, career opportunities, and intergenerational inequality
University of Warwick
Higher education, career opportunities, and intergenerational inequality
October 13, 2016
University of WarwickInterim Report of the Fair Pay Review
HM Treasury
Interim Report of the Fair Pay Review
December 1, 2010
HM TreasuryMeasuring Unfair Inequality: Reconciling Equality of Opportunity and Freedom from Poverty
University of Bristol
Measuring Unfair Inequality: Reconciling Equality of Opportunity and Freedom from Poverty
September 16, 2021
University of BristolOvercoming the liability of poorness: disadvantage, fragility, and the poverty entrepreneur
University of Notre Dame
Overcoming the liability of poorness: disadvantage, fragility, and the poverty entrepreneur
October 3, 2020
University of Notre DameProsperity and justice
Institute for Public Policy Research
Prosperity and justice
September 5, 2018
Institute for Public Policy ResearchReturn of bumper pay growth in finance fuels new rise in earnings inequality
Institute for Fiscal Studies
Return of bumper pay growth in finance fuels new rise in earnings inequality
May 4, 2022
Institute for Fiscal StudiesSocial mobility and ethnicity
Institute for Fiscal Studies
Social mobility and ethnicity
June 29, 2021
Institute for Fiscal StudiesSocial Mobility: Past, Present and Future
Sutton Trust
Social Mobility: Past, Present and Future
June 1, 2022
Sutton TrustThe Insecurity Index
Autonomy
The Insecurity Index
March 23, 2022
AutonomyThe Living Standards Audit 2022
Resolution Foundation
The Living Standards Audit 2022
July 4, 2022
Resolution FoundationThe myth of meritocracy: who really gets what they deserve?
The myth of meritocracy: who really gets what they deserve?
October 19, 2018
The role of the workplace in ethnic wage differentials
City, University of London
The role of the workplace in ethnic wage differentials
July 30, 2022
City, University of LondonUniversities and Social Mobility
Sutton TrustInstitute for Fiscal Studies
Universities and Social Mobility
November 24, 2021
Sutton TrustInstitute for Fiscal StudiesWe need to challenge the myth that the rich are specially-talented wealth creators
London School of Economics
We need to challenge the myth that the rich are specially-talented wealth creators
January 27, 2015
London School of EconomicsWhy free school meal recipients earn less than their peers
Office for National Statistics
Why free school meal recipients earn less than their peers
August 4, 2022
Office for National StatisticsCited attitudinal and framing research
Browse all attitudinal research
6 in 10 believe the main priority of business should be delivering better pay for their workers
High Pay Centre
6 in 10 believe the main priority of business should be delivering better pay for their workers
October 27, 2022
High Pay Centre60 per cent of Brits on £80,000-100,000 say they’re “about average”
New Statesman
60 per cent of Brits on £80,000-100,000 say they’re “about average”
July 4, 2022
New StatesmanFraming the economy
Frameworks UK
New Economics Foundation
Public Interest Research Centre
New Economy Organisers Network
Framing the economy
February 15, 2018
Frameworks UKNew Economics FoundationPublic Interest Research CentreNew Economy Organisers NetworkPoverty and public demand for redistribution
University of Oxford
Poverty and public demand for redistribution
April 24, 2023
University of OxfordSix out of ten people think CEOs should be paid no more than ten times their typical employee
High Pay Centre
Six out of ten people think CEOs should be paid no more than ten times their typical employee
May 2, 2022
High Pay CentreYour Time Your Pay
Equality Trust
Your Time Your Pay
March 27, 2023
Equality TrustStories from partner organisations
Browse all stories
A society deeply divided between the haves and have-nots ceases to function normally
Patriotic Millionaires
A society deeply divided between the haves and have-nots ceases to function normally
Graham Hobson, Photobox founder, talks about how unjustifiably excessive pay for CEOs creates social, economic and political problems
Patriotic MillionairesI don’t know how my school would function without teaching assistants
Guardian
I don’t know how my school would function without teaching assistants
Southampton headteacher Sian Carr talks about the impact of the cost of living crisis on teaching assistants
GuardianNHS nurse and single mum living on just £24 a week after bills
Wales Online
NHS nurse and single mum living on just £24 a week after bills
Heather says she has to take on extra shifts rather than spend time with her children, even working during her holiday
Wales OnlinePaying a higher rate of tax on earnings above £200k is not going to make you poor, is it?
Patriotic Millionaires
Paying a higher rate of tax on earnings above £200k is not going to make you poor, is it?
Gemma McGough argues that millionaires like her should be taxed more to tackle inequality and support public services
Patriotic MillionairesI made money by betting inequality was going to destroy our economy
Gary's Economics
I made money by betting inequality was going to destroy our economy
City trader turned campaigner Gary Stevenson on how our current economic system is broken, and rewards speculation
Gary's EconomicsBrowse other issues
Democracy
Democracy
Education
Education
Environment
Environment
Health
Health
Housing
Housing
Justice
Justice
Social security
Social security
Taxation
Taxation
Wealth
Wealth
Work
Work
Fairness Index home
Subscribe
Download PDF
Contact us