Staff trust a pay system they can understand, and growing companies lose good people when progression looks arbitrary. This pay bands template sets out the levels, the market position, how people are placed in a band, how they progress, and the review that keeps the system fair. Each figure comes with its source and method, and individual pay stays out of the document.

The sample is for Kettleby Foods, a fictional food manufacturer, with a £1.2M merit budget, a 6.1% median gap and bands that sit close to the market. Replace the budget, payroll base, survey sources and band ranges with your own figures, and check every number against your records. Share results only in aggregate, and never publish an individual's pay.