Companies propose vast CEO pay awards for shareholder approval

Can stakeholders have confidence in pay-setting process

30 April 2025

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Analysis from the High Pay Centre shows a number of major UK companies announced massive CEO pay awards in the first quarter of 2025, including Pearson, Astrazeneca, Barclays and Natwest. Our research suggests that of the nine FTSE 100 companies publishing details of a pay policy in Q1 to be put to a vote at their forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), six are seeking shareholders’ permission to increase the value of bonus and incentive payments.

The Fair Reward Framework exists to assess the pay outcomes and governance processes at FTSE 100 companies – covering not just CEO pay awards, but practices including CEO to worker pay ratios, trade union relationships, living wage accreditation, corporate tax contribution and worker involvement in the top pay setting process.

You can view our assessments from 2023 and 2024 on our company assessments page, with updates from 2025 due to follow shortly.