EU readiness toolkit

EU Pay Transparency Readiness Toolkit

Prepare for the EU pay transparency directive end to end. Frame the rules, inventory the data, review pay against the 5 percent rule, and keep the country and legal trackers current, all in one toolkit, so you arrive at legal review with the work done.

$149USD

One-time purchase, no subscription. Instant download.

Built by expert HR practitioners and leaders

  • The readiness guide: what the rules ask for, a seven-workstream roadmap, the data and pay-range foundations, and an executive briefing structure
  • A twelve-tab readiness workbook: framework reference, readiness tracker, data inventory, job grouping, pay ranges, the pay-gap review, requests, and the legal and country trackers
  • The pay-gap method built in: review pay by category, flag any unexplained gap of 5 percent or more, and start the six-month remediation clock
  • The employee pay-information right handled: a request log that runs the two-month answer, with what to provide
  • Country and legal-review trackers: keep every country status and the open legal questions current as national laws arrive
  • Editable guide and Start Here: a Word version to adapt for your executive briefing, and a one-page order to work in

The toolkit organizes the readiness work and documents your decisions for legal review. It does not guarantee compliance and does not replace qualified local counsel.

One-time purchase Instant download Editable files 14-day guarantee

Readiness tools and general business information for planning, not legal or tax advice. The EU pay transparency rules are set by Directive (EU) 2023/970 and put into effect by each member state national law, which varies and is still arriving. Confirm country-specific requirements with qualified local counsel.

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Last reviewed June 2026

Buying for clients or multiple entities? The White-Label tier is in the license.

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What you get

A guide, a twelve-tab workbook, and a clear order

The guide frames the rules and the project. The workbook runs the data, the pay, and the trackers. Built to be used together, in the order the Start Here lays out.

PDFStart here

Start Here

What each file does and the order to use them, in plain language. One page, read it first.

PDFRead + Word

EU Pay Transparency Readiness Toolkit, the guide

What the rules ask for, a seven-workstream roadmap, the data and pay-range foundations, the pay-gap method and the 5 percent rule, and an executive briefing structure. Comes as a PDF to read and an editable Word file to adapt for your organization.

XLSXExcel

EU Pay Transparency Readiness Workbook

Twelve tabs: a framework reference and readiness tracker, a data inventory, job grouping and equal value, pay range documentation, a pay-gap review with the 5 percent flag and a six-month clock, gap flag and remediation, an employee request log on the two-month window, legal-review and country trackers, and an action plan. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.

How it works

Run the project in the order the workbook lays out

Frame the rules, build the foundations, review pay, and keep the trackers current. The toolkit drafts and documents; local counsel makes the legal calls.

STEP 01

Frame the rules and list your countries

Read the guide, then open the workbook framework tab and list your countries, entities, and headcounts on the readiness tracker, so you know the scope before the work starts.

STEP 02

Build the foundations

Complete the data inventory, group jobs by equal value on objective criteria, and document your pay ranges. The pay-gap review only holds up once these are in place.

STEP 03

Review pay and run the clocks

Review pay by category on the pay-gap review, move any unexplained gap of 5 percent or more onto remediation to start the six-month clock, and log employee pay-information requests against the two-month window.

STEP 04

Keep the trackers current, then brief and review

Hold the country and legal-review trackers current as national laws arrive, use the editable Word guide for your executive briefing, and take the documented position to qualified local counsel.

The standard

Built to prepare a documented position, not to certify one

The directive sets one baseline and each member state writes its own national law. The toolkit is careful where it counts and clear about where counsel takes over.

Arrive at legal review with the data inventoried, the pay reviewed, and the gaps flagged, rather than a blank page. That is what the toolkit is for.
Never a compliance guarantee. The rules are set by Directive (EU) 2023/970 and put into effect by each member state national law, which varies and is still arriving. The toolkit prepares a position; it does not certify one.
The framework checked against current sources. The dates, the thresholds, the 5 percent rule, and the reporting tiers reflect the directive as of mid-2026, framed as a reference to confirm locally.
A workbook that runs the method, not just a checklist. The pay-gap review flags the 5 percent line and starts the six-month clock, and the request log runs the two-month window, so the obligations are tracked, not just noted.
Dated and reviewable. Every file carries a last-reviewed date, and meaningful updates are released as national laws and the directive effects land.

Where the toolkit stops and local counsel starts

The toolkit prepares a documented readiness position. The country detail and the legal calls belong with qualified local counsel. These are the points to route.

Whether an advert must carry the range or provide it before interview The exact size thresholds and timing in each country A pay gap of 5 percent or more and the joint pay assessment The works-council role in your countries The disclosure limits on what you can and cannot ask Anything that touches data protection

Who does what

The toolkit does the readiness work. You make the decisions and keep the evidence, and local counsel rules on the law. Here is the split.

  • The toolkit structures the project; you run it. The guide frames it and the workbook holds the data. The decisions stay yours.
  • The toolkit runs the pay-gap method; you set the pay. The workbook flags the 5 percent line and dates the clock. The pay and the explanations are yours.
  • The toolkit marks the legal calls; counsel makes them. It flags where national law decides the answer. Those calls belong with qualified local counsel.
  • The toolkit keeps the evidence, and the evidence is the point. A documented position, dated, is what turns a legal review from a blank page into a check.
Is this for you

Who it’s built for

Who this fits, and where to go if that’s not you.

Built for

  • A global employer or an EU-based company preparing for the pay transparency directive, that needs the project organized and documented.
  • An HR or reward lead who has to inventory the data, review pay, and brief the executive team, and wants the method and the trackers ready.
  • A team that wants the flagship readiness toolkit on its own, before deciding on the full EU bundle.

If you are looking for

Questions

Before you buy

What format are the files?
A PDF guide with an editable Word version, a twelve-tab Excel workbook, and a Start Here PDF. The workbook opens in Excel or Google Sheets, everything is editable, and the files are yours to keep.
Is this legal advice or a compliance guarantee?
No to both. It is general information and a readiness structure for planning. The rules are set by Directive (EU) 2023/970 and put into effect by each member state national law, which varies and is still arriving. Confirm what applies with qualified local counsel.
What is the 5 percent rule?
Where pay between categories of workers doing equal work or work of equal value differs by 5 percent or more and you cannot justify it on objective criteria, the directive framework expects you to address it, and an unaddressed gap can trigger a joint pay assessment. The workbook flags it and starts a six-month remediation clock.
What is the employee pay-information right?
Workers can ask for their individual pay level and the average pay levels for categories of workers doing equal work, broken down by sex. The framework expects an answer within two months, and the workbook request log runs that window.
Which countries does it cover?
The directive is the EU-wide baseline, and each member state writes it into its own national law, which can go further or move faster. The country tracker is built for you to record the position in each country you operate in. Confirm the detail locally.
When does this apply?
The deadline for member states to write the directive into national law was 7 June 2026, and most national laws are arriving after it. Gender pay gap reporting phases in by headcount. Timing differs by country, so confirm locally.
Will it stay current?
Each file carries a last-reviewed date, and meaningful updates are released as national laws arrive. The rules are still landing, so check the date before you rely on a specific requirement.
What is the refund policy?
Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.
What happens after I buy?
Checkout delivers an instant download, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the Start Here first. If a file gives you trouble, email support@truestephr.com.
Can I expense this purchase to my business?

Most customers buy TrueStep HR tools for business use, and a tool you use for work often qualifies as a deductible business expense. Whether it does for you depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant or tax professional. Your receipt arrives by email at checkout and works as documentation.

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Get the toolkit

Arrive at legal review with the work done

The framework, the data, the pay-gap method, and the trackers in one toolkit, so you bring a documented position instead of a blank page.

$149
One-time purchase, no subscription

Readiness tools for planning, not legal or tax advice. Not a compliance guarantee. Last reviewed June 2026.