Gender Pay Gap, Equal Pay, and Pay Transparency
Understand key regulatory requirements on gender pay equality and pay transparency. Learn practical compliance tips with this curated selection of resources for global in-house lawyers.
Global context
- Women around the world are paid approximately 20% less than men, in average, according to the United Nations and the International Labor Organization.
- Across the OECD countries, women were paid in average 11.3% less than men, in 2023, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
- Countries and groups of countries (such as the European Union) have adopted pay equality and pay transparency laws, regulations, and conventions, with information disclosure and other requirements.
2025 EU Spotlight
- In the European Union, the Pay Transparency Directive (PTD) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) set various requirements for employers.
- EU member states were required to implement the CSRD into national law by July 2024, and must implement the PTD into national law by June 2026.
Learn more with these resources selected by ACC
Europe
- EU’s Pay Equity Directive: 5 Key Points Employers Need to Know, by Fisher & Phillips LLP, March 12, 2025
- Understanding the EU Pay Transparency Directive, by Jackson Lewis P.C. (John L. Sander & Maya Kaplan Atrakchi), August 27, 2024
- Preparing for the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive, by Ogletree Deakins (Daniella McGuigan), September 6, 2024
- Pay Transparency: Where to Begin? A Deeper Dive and Practical Pointers, by Eversheds Sutherland, October 2, 2024
- Gender Pay Gap Reporting, by Eversheds Sutherland, January 24, 2025
- EU Pay Transparency Directive: The Current Status and How to Prepare, by Morgan Lewis (Louise Skinner, William Mallin), March 11, 2025
- Equal Pay and Pay Transparency in Germany, by Loschelder and TerraLex (2023)
United States
- Recent Pay Transparency Trends, Case Law, and Enforcement, by Laura A. Mitchell, Jackson Lewis P.C., November 7, 2024
- Understanding Pay Transparency in Job Postings, by Kurt Hadley, January 9, 2024, ACC Docket
- Finding It, Researching It, and Complying With It: The Multistate and Remote Work Challenge for Employers, by Jackson Lewis P.C. (Richard Greenberg, Melissa Ostrower, Alec Nealon, and Scott Ruygrok), November 7, 2024
- Compliance With Washington State’s New Pay Transparency Law: The Strictest Job Posting Requirements In the United States, by Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Helen McFarland and Kira Johal), January 31, 2023
- Responding to the calls for equality, November 14, 2022, by Dentons (regarding California’s Broad Pay Transparency Law), November 14, 2022
Australia
- Australia Takes Steps to Address Pay Secrecy and Gender Pay Gap, by Littler Mendelson P.C. (Naomi J. Seddon, Grace Yang, and Thelma Akpan), February 15, 2023
Australia: Legislation Allowing Publication of Company Gender Pay Gaps Passed, US Library of Congress (Kelly Buchanan), April 18, 2023
United Kingdom
- Pay Transparency: Is Change Afoot in the UK?, by Littler Mendelson P.C. (Ben Rouse and Nicola James), April 30, 2024
- Touching the Void, by Joanna Goodman, in The Law Society Gazette, April 26, 2024
Canada
- Federal Government Launches Consultation on Draft Regulations Related to Equal Pay Under the Canada Labour Code, by Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP (Paul E. Broad), March 6, 2025
- Canada’s Pay Equity Act to Take Effect on August 31, 2021: Key Considerations for Federal Employers, by Ogletree Deakins (Ryan Martin and Shir Fulga), July 16, 2021
Global sources
- International Equal Pay Day, 18 September, by the United Nations
- Gender Equality and Work, by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Region:
Global
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Europe
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European Union
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United States
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Canada
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Australia
The information in any resource collected in this virtual library should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on specific facts and should not be considered representative of the views of its authors, its sponsors, and/or ACC. These resources are not intended as a definitive statement on the subject addressed. Rather, they are intended to serve as a tool providing practical advice and references for the busy in-house practitioner and other readers.