According to the latest edition of the global survey “People at Work: A Global Workforce View” (2025), Polish employees rank among the highest worldwide when it comes to the perception of being unfairly paid. 25% of men and as many as 40% of women report feeling underpaid. The 15-percentage-point gender gap is the largest globally—matched only by Sweden.
This result reflects widespread frustration, particularly among women, around pay practices. The dissatisfaction is not necessarily tied to salary levels alone. In fact, the same study shows that Poles do not rate their pay as the worst in relative terms, and other research suggests that Poland’s gender pay gap is not among the largest globally. Rather, the frustration stems from the mechanisms that govern remuneration and from high awareness of the issue. Factors include opaque pay rules, arbitrary bonuses and raises, general knowledge of workplace inequalities, and the feeling that compensation does not match qualifications or effort.
In some industries, where salaries are regulated nationally and adjusted too infrequently, employers have little room to address these perceptions. But in many cases, introducing clear and transparent pay mechanisms is the first step toward reducing frustration.
Pay Transparency on the Horizon
From June 2026, EU member states will require companies to adopt pay transparency rules. These include obligations to disclose pay ranges during recruitment and to provide employees with access to average salaries within the company, broken down by gender. Employers with at least 100 staff will also have to regularly report gender pay gaps.
Although more companies are now publishing pay ranges in job postings, this practice is far from universal. Data shows that only a small fraction of organizations have adopted or are ready to adopt a pay transparency policy. With less than a year left to prepare, time is short—developing an action plan and launching initial implementation takes months.
The directive also sets penalties: if a reported pay gap exceeds 5%, corrective measures will be required, and affected employees will be entitled to compensation. Even earlier, from December 23, 2025, under Polish law, employers will be obliged to inform job candidates about financial terms during the recruitment process.
Pay transparency should not be treated merely as a regulatory burden but as an opportunity to build competitive advantage. While some companies may aim for minimal compliance to avoid sanctions, those that identify the sources of pay frustration and address them effectively will gain both in employee satisfaction and in market reputation as attractive employers.
The Cost of Pay Inequality
Dissatisfaction with pay, feelings of unfair treatment, and lack of prospects for improvement are key reasons employees seek new jobs. Opaque rules on pay, bonuses, and promotions can drive turnover—costly for companies due to vacancies and recruitment expenses. At least part of these costs can be mitigated by building transparent pay policies.
Where to Start
Preparing for pay transparency should begin with a comprehensive audit to determine whether a pay gap exists and to what extent. Employers should also review pay structures, job roles, and responsibilities tied to each position. This helps answer whether the compensation system is justified and clearly defined. Employees should be able to verify rules in internal regulations and job descriptions.
Sometimes, organizations may need to redesign their job structures and create new titles. For example, in a “customer service team” where every employee performs slightly different tasks, it is difficult to justify pay differences if they all share the same job title and broadly defined duties.
If an audit reveals that the gender pay gap exceeds the legal threshold of 5%, employers should prepare a plan to gradually close the gap and allocate funds for this in future budgets.
Author: Anna Barbachowska, HR Director at ADP Poland
Source: CEO.com.pl
