Redefining HR’s Role at the Leadership Table | Rippling

HR has never been more critical to business success — yet too often, it’s still sidelined when strategic decisions are made.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive introduces sweeping new pay transparency requirements across all 27 EU member states, taking effect in June 2026. This guide explains what employers with 100+ EU employees including non-EU companies with EU operations must do to comply.

Organisations with 250+ employees must report annually starting June 2027, while those with 100–249 employees report every three years. Key obligations include salary transparency in job postings, employee access to pay information, gender pay gap reporting, and joint pay assessments when gaps exceed 5%.

The guide outlines essential preparation steps from pay structure design and data consolidation to governance, training, and technology implementation—along with a practical readiness timeline. Early action not only reduces compliance risk but also strengthens culture, trust, and employer brand.

Core Obligations

• Publish salary ranges in job postings or before interviews

• Ban asking candidates about previous salary history

• Provide employees with their pay level and average pay for equivalent roles

• Disclose pay criteria (how raises, bonuses, and progression are decided)

• Report median/mean pay gaps, distribution across quartiles, bonus gaps

• Conduct joint assessments with employee representatives if pay gaps ≥5%

• Protect against intersectional discrimination (gender, race, disability, sexuality)

This ebook explores how modern HR leaders can move beyond administration, earn influence at the leadership table, and shape company strategy with confidence. Learn how to prove HR’s impact in commercial terms, build credibility with executives, and secure (and keep) a seat where it matters most.