Why are you conducting a pay review? 

Typical reasons include: 

• Annual or scheduled review cycle
   

• A change in role or responsibilities
   

• Benchmarking against market or industry standards
   

• Cost-of-living considerations
   

• Ensuring fairness and consistency across the business
   

• Adjusting pay following changes to the National Minimum Wage or the Real Living Wage
   

• Implementing pay adjustments agreed with unions or membership bodies 

This could apply to: 

• All staff within the business
   

• Specific teams or grades
   

• Individuals whose roles have changed 

Communicating the purpose and timeline helps set expectations. 

A fair review begins with understanding the role as it is performed now. 

Review the role in practice 

Consider: 

• Day-to-day duties
   

• Level of responsibility
   

• Problem-solving and decision-making expectations
   

• Any supervisory or leadership responsibilities
   

• Whether the role has grown beyond the original remit 

Collect useful insights from: 

• The individual in the role
   

• Their line manager or project lead
   

• Recent performance discussions
   

• Production or project feedback 

The screen sector varies widely between regions, genres and production scales. To benchmark effectively: 

Consider regional pay differences 

Pay for similar roles can vary in: 

• London 

• Manchester and Salford 

• Leeds 

• Glasgow and Edinburgh 

• Cardiff 

• Belfast 

• Other regional production hubs 

Use available data from: 

• Industry bodies (e.g. BECTU, ScreenSkills, Pact) 

• Job boards and recruitment agencies focused on screen roles 

• Broadcasters and streamers that publish pay bands 

A well-structured pay review considers not just what the role is, but how it is carried out. 

Experience 

Factor in: 

• Overall industry experience 

• Type and scale of past productions 

• Relevant technical or craft skills 

• Any specialist knowledge (e.g. rights & clearances, budgeting software, scheduling tools) 

Training and qualifications 

This may include: 

• ScreenSkills training 

• Health & safety certifications 

• Technical software training 

• Department-specific qualifications 

Performance 

Consider: 

• Quality of work 

• Reliability and consistency 

• Ability to work collaboratively 

• Initiative and problem-solving 

• Contribution to team culture 

Equal pay considerations 

Businesses must ensure that pay decisions do not discriminate based on protected characteristics. People doing “equal work” should be paid equally unless there is a clear, evidenced justification. 

Internal consistency 

Compare: 

• Pay levels for similar roles within the business 

• Whether any differences are justified 

• Whether previous pay decisions follow the same approach 

Finalising the outcome 

This may include: 

• An increase in pay 

• A one-off award (where appropriate) 

• No change (with clear explanation) 

• Re-grading or redefining the role 

• Adjusting responsibilities rather than pay 

Documentation 

Your notes should cover: 

• Benchmarking data used 

• Role evaluation evidence 

• Performance considerations 

• Equality and consistency checks 

• Final rationale 

Clear documentation ensures fairness and supports future reviews.

Written summary 

Set out: 

• The factors considered 

• The decision made 

• When any changes take effect 

• When the next review will take place 

A follow-up conversation 

Whether in person or online, this gives the individual space to: 

• Ask questions 

• Understand the reasoning 

• Discuss development plans or next steps 

Update internal records 

Such as: 

• Payroll 

• HR or project files 

• Contracts or agreements 

• Production budgets (if relevant) 

Follow-up 

Check in after implementation, especially where: 

• Responsibilities are evolving 

• No pay increase was given 

• The business has identified development pathways 

Regular check-ins help maintain trust and reduce frustration later.