With the approach of 7 June 2026, the deadline set for the transposition of Directive (EU) 2023/970 by the Member States, pay transparency is set to take on increasing importance also for Italian companies. The objective of the European legislation is in fact to more concretely strengthen the principle of equal pay between male and female workers through information obligations, monitoring tools and protection mechanisms, requiring companies to be more transparent in how remuneration is determined, communicated and, where necessary, justified.
The new rules in fact require more careful management of corporate remuneration policies and are set to have an impact first and foremost on the pre-employment stage, providing that candidates are informed of the initial salary or salary range for the position to be filled and prohibiting employers from requesting information, even indirectly, about pay received in previous professional experiences.
However, the effects of the new framework are also expected to significantly affect the course of the employment relationship, as workers will be able to obtain information on the criteria used to determine pay and salary progression, as well as request information on average pay levels, broken down by gender, for those performing the same work or work of equal value, to which the employer must respond within specified deadlines.
For larger companies, the new regulatory framework also introduces periodic reporting obligations on the gender pay gap. If these assessments reveal, within the same category of workers, a pay difference equal to or greater than 5% that cannot be justified by objective, gender-neutral criteria and is not corrected within the required timeframe, a joint pay assessment must be initiated with workers’ representatives. This process is aimed at identifying the causes of the disparities and adopting the necessary corrective measures. The legislation also provides for specific safeguards for workers and a system of penalties in the event of non-compliance.
In this context, HR Capital supports companies in the process of analysing and adapting to the new pay transparency requirements, assisting them in interpreting the regulatory framework and identifying the organisational aspects that need to be addressed.
Addressing pay transparency in a timely manner means preparing for a significant regulatory and cultural shift, but also taking the opportunity to strengthen the transparency and consistency of remuneration policies, anchoring them to objective, gender-neutral criteria. From this perspective, a well-structured adaptation can represent for companies not only a matter of regulatory compliance, but also a factor of improved reputation and greater attractiveness to new talent.
Article written by Roberta De Felice on the occasion of the 10th GLOBAL SUMMIT Human Resources, 22–23 April 2026