Directive (EU) 2023/970 · Getting ready
How to prepare
A practical sequence: clean data, an objective equal-value framework, close the gaps, and stand up the new rights.
Start with clean, complete pay data
Consolidate workforce and pay data from your HR, payroll and spreadsheet sources into one accurate picture, track changes over time, and pseudonymise personal identifiers — so everything downstream runs on a GDPR-safe, defensible base.
Build an objective equal-value framework
Put a gender-neutral job-evaluation scheme in place so you can group roles of equal value and defend the comparison on objective factors — not job title or market rate. This is the step that takes the longest, so start it early.
Measure, explain and close gaps
Calculate the gap, separate the part explained by legitimate factors from the unexplained residual, and remediate any category over the 5% threshold — documenting the rationale so the result is defensible, not just published.
Stand up the operational rights
Put pay ranges into your hiring process, stop asking candidates for salary history, and set up a workflow to answer workers' right-to-information requests within the deadline.
Frequently asked
What's the first step towards compliance?
A clean, consolidated view of your pay data and an objective equal-value (job-evaluation) framework — everything else builds on those two.
How early should we start?
Well before your first national deadline. Establishing work of equal value and remediating gaps takes months, not weeks.
Do we need a job-evaluation scheme?
It's the defensible basis for proving equal value. Salary benchmarking reflects existing pay patterns and isn't a substitute.
Practical guidance grounded in Directive (EU) 2023/970 via EUR-Lex, and practitioner readiness guides. Not legal advice — confirm steps against your national transposition.