Employers will have to demonstrate that women and men are paid equally for equal work and work of equal value, using objective criteria, analysis and explainable pay decisions. Find out in ten minutes where your organisation stands.
Six organisations helped build the Equal Pay Check by going through the whole process and sharing their experiences and suggestions on the questions, the outcomes and the report.
“This gives us a clear picture of where work still needs doing, and of how to go about it.”
“Very welcome to get an overview like this without having to hand over GDPR-sensitive information.”
“A few details that are easy to step over were brought out by the Check after all.”
“As far as I can judge, every relevant theme was covered.”
“The questionnaire was easy to complete. We were done within 15 to 20 minutes.”
From the evaluations by the test organisations, translated from Dutch. Unattributed at their request.
Directive (EU) 2023/970 applies across the Union; each member state sets its own implementation. These are the four things it asks of you. The dates below are the Dutch ones, as an example.
You share the salary or salary range before the first discussion of terms, for instance in the vacancy. And you may no longer ask candidates about their pay history.
This applies in principle to employers of any size, including those with no reporting duty.
Employees gain the right to information about their own pay level and about average pay levels for colleagues doing equal or equivalent work, broken down by sex.
You need a process for that, and you must tell employees the right exists. Clauses preventing employees from discussing pay are not permitted.
Larger employers report periodically on pay differences between women and men. In the Netherlands, employers with 150 or more employees report by 7 June 2028 on calendar year 2027; those with 100 to 149 by 7 June 2031.
Thresholds and dates differ per member state. Check what applies in the countries where you employ people.
If reporting shows an unexplained difference of 5 per cent or more within a category of workers, and it is not corrected within six months, a joint pay assessment with workers' representatives follows.
Five per cent is not a tolerance level. A smaller difference you cannot objectively explain may still be unjustified.
Five questions come up in HR, executive and compliance teams. The Equal Pay Check answers all five, starting from your own situation.
The check works through the five areas the Directive touches and gives you a prioritised starting point instead of a list of separate obligations.
You see per theme whether the foundation is in place, whether it is not yet explainable, or whether it is missing altogether.
The check shows where the risk sits: placement on hiring, recruitment, progression, transparency or data. Including readiness for the 5% threshold.
Every point of attention becomes a concrete measure with a proposed owner, priority and starting phase. You know what is urgent and what can wait.
The check itself is free to start and €995 excl. VAT for the full report with action plan and a one-hour advisory session, with a €500 introductory discount until 25 November. More importantly, you see in advance where further investment is needed, in policy, job architecture, data or communication, so you can budget precisely instead of buying broadly.
The Equal Pay Check works through the areas where you will need to show that pay is objective and explainable.
Where an unexplained pay difference within a category of workers reaches 5% or more, has no objective justification and is not corrected within six months, a joint pay assessment with employee representatives follows. Note: 5% is not a tolerance threshold. Smaller unjustified differences must be addressed as well. The check tests whether you can calculate this and whether you have a scenario ready.
Pay transparency touches trust and industrial relations. In a joint pay assessment, employee representatives are a required partner. The check looks at whether representatives are structurally involved in pay policy. Early involvement prevents that conversation from happening under time pressure.
The report includes an executive summary: score, main risks, first measures and the decision requested. Ready to use in a management meeting, supervisory board or audit committee, so ownership and budget are assigned rather than left open.
The Directive sets the framework. Each member state sets its own dates in national law.
Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency and enforcement of equal pay enters into force.
Member states were required to transpose the Directive into national law by 7 June 2026. Several states, including the Netherlands, did not meet that deadline.
Implementing legislation is in progress across the EU. Obligations, thresholds and dates take effect through the national law that applies to your organisation.
Pay ranges when recruiting, the ban on asking about pay history, accessible pay criteria and employee information rights come into effect as national laws enter into force.
Larger employers report on the gender pay gap, with the first reporting year and deadline set nationally. In the Netherlands, for example, the bill provides for a first report by 7 June 2028 covering calendar year 2027 for employers from 150 people.
Status based on public sources, August 2026. National implementing legislation is still in progress and may change. Check the position for your own country and legal entity.
The United Nations has marked 18 September as International Equal Pay Day since 2019. It is a fixed, symbolic date that recognises the ongoing effort towards equal pay for work of equal value, worldwide.
Globally, women are paid around 20 per cent less than men. International Equal Pay Day is not calculated from that figure; it is a fixed day for reflection and action, supported by UN Women and the International Labour Organization.
Read more on un.orgMany countries also mark their own Equal Pay Day: the point in the year from which women effectively work unpaid, given the average pay gap. Because it is derived from that gap, the date shifts each year. The Netherlands is shown here as an example.
Based on the most recently established Dutch pay gap of 10 per cent: 10% × 365 days = 36.5 unpaid days, counted back from 31 December.
Job architecture, work of equal value, scales and ranges.
Vacancies, pay ranges, pay history and starting salaries.
Appraisal, promotion, salary growth and leave effects.
Information rights, communication, representation and managers.
Data quality, mean and median, the 5% scenario, governance.
One amount for the check, the report and a one-hour advisory session.
€500 introductory discount, from Equal Pay Day to Equal Pay Day: 18 September to 25 November 2026. You pay on invoice, which you receive together with the report.
You receive a clear picture of where your organisation stands, and an action plan that names who is responsible for each step. A day of consultancy buys you a conversation. This investment buys you a structured analysis, a substantiated report and a plan that HR, the board and finance can act on the same morning. Start free with the Quick Scan and pay only when you want the full report.
Directive (EU) 2023/970 requires employers to share pay information before recruitment, stops them asking candidates about pay history, gives employees the right to information about pay levels, and requires larger employers to report on the gender pay gap. Member states set the detailed rules in national law. Read the Directive on EUR-Lex ↗
The Directive sets phased duties, with the heaviest obligations for the largest employers. The exact thresholds and dates follow from national implementing law and differ between member states. Below those thresholds, the principle of equal pay and the transparency requirements in recruitment still apply.
The Directive applies to employers in EU member states. Organisations based elsewhere with employees in the EU can fall within the scope of the national law of the country where those employees work. The check is useful in either case, but have the legal position for your entity confirmed by a specialist.
About ten minutes: 12 questions on the essentials. You receive an immediate indication of your main points of attention.
The regular price is €1,495 excl. VAT. From 18 September to 25 November 2026 you pay €995 excl. VAT, a discount of €500. That covers the full question set, scores per theme, the findings, the action plan and the executive summary.
You do not pay in advance and no payment provider is involved: you confirm the order with a digital signature and receive the invoice together with the report, with payment terms as set out in our general terms and conditions.
Allow 20 to 25 minutes; that is what our test organisations needed on average. You can stop along the way; your answers are saved. The report follows within 24 to 72 hours, after review by an adviser. We then schedule the advisory session, 1 hour (online).
Advisory session, 1 hour (online). After the report we schedule an hour with a reward systems adviser. We go through the outcome with you: where the score comes from, which findings really matter and where to start. You can bring in your own situation; the instrument does not know your context, so we ask about it.
The session is included in the price and is not a sales call. You decide who joins, for instance someone from the board or from finance.
No. The check works from self-reporting on your policy, processes and data setup. No individual salary data is requested or processed.
No, and we do not claim that. The check maps what still needs to be arranged and gives you a prioritised action plan. Carrying out those measures is what moves your organisation towards compliance; the check is the starting point and the steering instrument.
Where an unexplained pay difference within a category of workers reaches 5% or more and is not corrected in time, the Directive provides for a joint pay assessment together with employee representatives. Five per cent is not a tolerance threshold: smaller unjustified differences must be addressed as well.
English and Dutch. Both versions use exactly the same questions, scoring and logic, so results are comparable across countries and entities.
Your report is reviewed by a person and discussed with you. Here they are.
The rules are coming. The data you will report on is being built today. Start with insight, end with an action plan.
