Comp and Coffee Pay transparency again? What you actually need to know for 2026
Nov 13, 2025
Lulu Seikaly, Senior Corporate Employment Counsel at Payscale, and Vicky Peakman, Director of Fair Pay Partners, dive into the crucial updates on pay transparency laws. They explore the 2025 landscape, highlighting how new U.S. state regulations and the EU Pay Transparency Directive will reshape compliance strategies by 2026. The discussion addresses challenges, like job category determination and the implications of not meeting deadlines. Emphasizing a culture of transparency, they share practical steps companies can take to foster trust and fairness in pay practices.
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U.S. Laws Are Mostly Iterative
- U.S. pay transparency laws are mostly copy-paste state rules focused on salary ranges and basic posting.
- Expect more states to require disclosures to incumbents and potentially adopt EU-style rules after 2026.
EU Transposition Is Uneven
- EU member states vary in readiness to transpose the Pay Transparency Directive ahead of June 2026.
- National politics (e.g., Netherlands delay) will influence other countries' timing and the European Commission's response matters.
Begin Job Categories Now
- Start defining categories of work and groups of jobs of equal value now; don't wait for final legislation.
- Treat job evaluation and category building as foundational work that will ease later compliance.