Henrieke van Bommel

Is your organization ready for the EU Directive Pay Transparency in 2026?

Major changes in wage transparency legislation are about to be implemented and will directly impact companies across the European Union. The EU Pay Transparency Directive on wage transparency is in the implementation phase and requires organizations to disclose job and salary structures, create pay gap reports, and take action to ensure fair remuneration. Since all EU member states must incorporate the directive into their national legislation by 2026, companies with more than 100 employees (both public and private organizations) will be required to report pay gap data.

From rainbow keychains to real change: Making a lasting impact with diversity, equity, and inclusion

Over the past few months, more than thirty DEI officers working in both profit and government organizations were interviewed about what works in achieving a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Their answers differed, but one thing was clear: an event-driven approach does not work. Only providing workshops, lunches, or handing out rainbow keychains is not moving the needle sufficiently. Improving DEI requires a more sustainable approach and is all about change management. Cultural change, changes in processes and policies, improved strategies, and a strong understanding of why DEI is important to the organization are essential. These ideas are collected here, highlighting what truly helps organizations improve DEI. Many organizations wish to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In most cases, they start with a series of visible initiatives—workshops on unconscious bias, special activities for Pride Month, or knowledge sessions on cultural diversity. While these events raise awareness, the impact is often limited, leading to what some have labeled a “check-the-box” approach to DEI. However, based on interviews with DEI officers, organizations must shift from an event-driven to a change-driven DEI approach to make a real and lasting impact.

Gender Mobility

The gender balance in employee inflow, advancement, and outflow provides important insight into an organization’s diversity and inclusiveness. Gaining a clear understanding of how men and women move within the organization – gender mobility - is essential for any company committed to fostering diversity and inclusion. Analyzing these patterns helps to address key questions such as: Are enough women being hired to sustain diversity? Do women have the same opportunities for promotion as men? Is there evidence of a glass ceiling? Does the organization face greater challenges in engaging women? What is the likelihood of achieving diversity goals?

Recruiting bias check

Does everyone have an equal chance of being considered for a job? Highberg's recruitment bias check analyzes whether there are significant differences between groups of applicants and the ultimate probability of being hired for a job. The job market is upside down and every organization does its utmost to attract good staff. Nevertheless, there is a large group of people in the Netherlands who want to work more but ultimately do not get this opportunity. CBS calls this unused labor potential. In an organization, this can mean that certain groups of people, for example women or people with a different or bi-cultural background, have less chance of being hired. Alternatively, they may be hired but have to prove themselves first and are therefore lower graded. A direct cause of pay differences.

Are you ready for the upcoming EU Directive Pay Transparency?

In May 2023, the European Commission agreed to a new directive on equal pay and pay transparency. This directive outlines measures promoting pay transparency, including providing pay details for job seekers, ensuring the right to know the pay levels for employees engaged in similar or equivalent work, and imposing gender pay gap reporting requirements on companies with over 100 employees (both public and private organizations). EU member states must incorporate this directive into their national legislation within two years.

Unlocking organizational success through pay equity

At a time of increasing demands for laws and regulations, growing social pressure, and much emphasis on employee satisfaction, gaining insight into equal pay is a must. Nevertheless, companies are sometimes reluctant to investigate if a potential pay gap exists. There are two reasons for this: (1) organizations believe there is no pay inequality in their organization, and (2) organizations seem to be afraid of the consequences if there are any differences. But, beyond social responsibility, many advantages come with transparency about pay equity.

Understanding equal pay

In 1957, the European Union adopted a treaty establishing that men and women should receive equal pay for work of equal value. Although this law has been in place for more than 65 years, there is still a clear difference in pay between men and women. For example, the most recent benchmark by Statistics Netherlands shows that men earn on average between 3 per cent and 6 per cent more than women for the same work. Fortunately, more companies are realizing the importance of gender equality in the workplace and the role that equal pay for equal work plays in this. Yet it is not clear to many companies. What exactly is equal pay for equal work?

How to Improve Employee Satisfaction After Organizational Change

Changes within an organization, or even a reorganization, can have a significant impact on employees. Sometimes their role changes, they are placed in a different position or organizational unit, or they may need to undergo training to meet new requirements. But even if personnel changes are limited, there are still consequences for employees. This was also the case with an organization in the cultural sector, where a new director had been appointed. He made several changes and opted for a more commercial approach. Some of these changes caused unrest among employees. The management wanted to address this unrest and therefore sought the assistance of Highberg. Henrieke van Bommel is an analytics translator at Highberg and is eager to share about this process.

Qualitative research on Diversity & Inclusion at a Dutch multinational

Diversity & inclusion research through interviews and focus groups uncovers areas for improvement and leads to more equal opportunities

The way you improve employee satisfaction after an organizational change

Changes within an organization, like management changes, restructuring or mergers, have a considerable impact on employees. Sometimes their role changes, they are placed in another position or organizational unit, or they have to follow a training course to meet new requirements. But even if personnel changes are limited, there are still consequences for employees. This was also the case with an organization in the culture sector, where a new director had been appointed. He made a number of changes and opted for a more commercial approach. Some of the changes caused unrest among employees. The management was keen to remove this unrest and therefore sought the help of Highberg. Henrieke van Bommel is an Analytics Translator at Highberg and is happy to tell you about this process.