Skip to main content
Choose your location
Select the location and the language that you prefer

main content, press tab to continue

Pay transparency communication becomes critical

Who, and how, to prepare for the EU Pay Transparency Directive

Author

Tom Wooldridge and
Caroline Jordan
March 20, 2025

With the EU Pay Transparency Directive coming into local legislation from mid-next year, many organizations have started engaging in critical planning to ensure they have a clear definition of work, equitable pay programmes and policies, and a methodology to deliver pay gap reporting. But with just over a year until transparency for employees on the average pay of their peers, many employers risk being caught on the back foot when it comes to communications planning.

In fact, the vast majority (81%) of companies are still establishing how they will provide pay information to employees, according to WTW's 2024 Pay Transparency Survey. 

Table 1: How companies will provide pay information to employees?
Employee average pay requests Pay range on hire
12% on request 18% job posting
7% proactively provide 9% during interview process
81% not decided 72% not decided
Pay transparency requires sensitive change management; employers need to bring their people along with them. Four different groups are key:

Questions your people may ask:

  • Why are men paid more than women (or vice versa)?
  • Why am I paid less than the average?
  • Why am I paid beneath the advertised range for a role being advertised in my team?
  • Why are our pay gaps high?
  • Why do we pay less than our competitors?
  • Why should I stay?

Next steps to navigate the EU Pay Transparency Directive successfully

The EU Pay Transparency Directive is poised to reshape how organisations handle and communicate pay. Proactive preparation is crucial and businesses should engage business leaders, equip managers and leverage technology to ensure effective and sensitive communication. Delaying communication planning can lead to significant challenges. To stay ahead, organizations should start now by defining their pay philosophy, training managers, and using technology to facilitate transparent and accessible pay discussions. Don't wait until the last minute; take action today to ensure compliance and build trust with your employees.

We can assist in this process by planning, creating and even delivering educational materials. We provide technology to make the disclosure of large amounts of data straightforward and to explain information. Take the first step today by partnering with us to navigate the EU Pay Transparency Directive successfully.

Contacts

Thomas Wooldridge's photo

Tom Wooldridge

Employee Experience Director – Change Management and Communication

Caroline Jordan

Caroline Jordan

Employee Experience Director – Change Management and Communication

White paper

EU Pay Transparency Directive – Transposing into national law

Find out how ready you are for the EU Pay Transparency Directive

Contact us for details of our EU Pay Transparency Readiness Check and understand where to start, how to develop your roadmap for change, and become confident in pay equity to be ready for greater pay transparency.