The introduction of new regulations aims to reduce pay differences between genders and increase transparency in remuneration policy. According to Eurostat data for 2023, in the European Union women earn on average 12% more than women. less per hour of work than men.
Poland fares better compared to other countries, with a wage gap of 7.8%. In response to these inequalities, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy presented draft regulations aimed at strengthening the principles of equal pay.
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Transparency will increase
Employers will be obliged to create remuneration structures enabling comparative analysis of wages in companies. Employees will also gain the right to obtain information about their remuneration, as well as average wages by gender for comparable positions.
From December 24 this year changes to the Labor Code will come into force, which will introduce the obligation to disclose the proposed remuneration already at the recruitment stage. Employers will not be able to ask candidates about their previous earnings. Experts emphasize that these changes may improve transparency in salary negotiations and increase trust in employer-employee relations.
Dr. Justyna Berniak-Woźny from SWPS University in an interview with PAP noted that salary transparency has the potential to organize the labor market and reduce arbitrariness in determining salaries.
According to her, salary transparency can shorten recruitment processes and reduce employee disappointment. The expert emphasizes that companies will be forced to be more responsible, including justifying pay decisions and eliminating unjustified differences in pay.
Compensation is not meant to be taboo
Berniak-Woźny points out that a key step for companies is to conduct a remuneration audit and then create clear rules regarding remuneration, promotions and raises. He also emphasizes that it is important to build a culture in which talking about remuneration is no longer a taboo and becomes a natural element of management.
““Companies should update their recruitment processes and train managers to make pay decisions objectively.” – she said.
Despite the positive reception of the new regulations, the expert emphasizes that pay transparency alone will not solve the problem of pay inequality. “If organizations limit themselves only to meeting formal requirements, not much will change,” said Berniak-Woźny.
She added that it is crucial to implement real actions, such as audits, recovery plans and transparent promotion rules, which can have a real impact on reducing pay differences.
Less room for subjectivity
The expert also draws attention to deeper causes of inequality, such as stereotypes regarding the role of women at work and their lower representation in managerial positions.
She emphasizes that combating these prejudices requires comprehensive actions on the part of organizations, including promoting women to leadership positions, supporting their return to work after breaks and standardizing work evaluation processes. “The less space we leave for subjective assessment, the more we equalize the opportunities,” Berniak-Woźny noted.
The introduction of new regulations in Poland is a step towards a fairer labor market, but experts emphasize that their effectiveness depends on consistency in implementation and companies' readiness for real changes.
