FTSE 100 CEOs Earn Worker's Annual Salary by Midday, Pay Gap Hits 113:1

The chief executives of Britain's largest companies will have earned more by lunchtime on Tuesday 6th January 2026 than the average UK worker will take home in the entire year, according to a stark new analysis.

The Soaring Pay Divide

Research from the think tank the High Pay Centre shows the median pay package for a FTSE 100 CEO reached £4.4 million in 2025, a rise from £4.22 million the previous year. In contrast, the median full-time worker's pay stands at £39,039.

This creates a pay ratio where the average top boss earns 113 times the salary of their typical employee. The figures mean that by the close of just the third working day of 2026, these executives will have already outstripped the annual income of most British workers.

Call for Corporate Governance Reform

The annual snapshot, published as the Employment Rights Act received Royal Assent last month, has ignited fresh debate over boardroom excess. The new law includes measures to grant trade unions reasonable workplace access and oblige employers to inform new hires of their right to join a union.

Andrew Speke, interim director of the High Pay Centre, stated: "The figures out today once again emphasise the huge gulf in how the work of most people is valued compared to a small number of feted executives." He argued the idea that executives contribute over 100 times more value than their workers is not credible.

The Centre's Charter for Fair Pay calls for the effective implementation of the Employment Rights Bill and further measures to amplify worker voice, including democratic worker representation on all major company boards. It also advocates for higher taxes on companies paying excessive sums, with proceeds invested in education and social mobility.

Union and Political Response

Trade unions have strongly criticised the widening disparity. TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: "Every working person helps create Britain’s wealth. But while millions of low and middle-income workers are still struggling with the cost of living, those at the very top keep helping themselves to a huge slice of the pie." He welcomed Labour's Employment Rights Act but urged the government to rein in boardroom greed, including by guaranteeing workers a seat on executive pay committees.

A GMB union spokesperson highlighted the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, stating: "Workers are still struggling... But fat cats are still creaming it in. That’s why the Workers’ Rights Act is so crucial."

The High Pay Centre links the decline in trade union membership since the 1980s directly to the rising pay gap and worsening inequality in the UK and other Western nations.