How Generations Z and Alpha see pay transparency and equal-pay rights

In 2026, EU member states should implement Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms. It aims to reduce the pay gap between women and men. This will be a significant change in national labour markets, and it will not result solely from the directive itself and will not only concern the pay gap phenomenon.

In recent years, the discussion on pay transparency and equal pay has ceased to be the exclusive domain of HR managers. It has slowly been becoming part of creating a company’s value, image and the way it operates and attracts talent. Of course, it is not that previous generations of employees did not attach importance to this aspect of employment. However, it seems that newer generations that enter the labour market increasingly expect fair and transparent remuneration policies. So-called platform work, performed by employees who often do not know the criteria used to determine their remuneration, is an exception to the increasingly common rule. According to this rule, new generations of employees expect pay transparency, equality and fairness. This is a result of the young people’s lifestyle, not ideology. It is a generational change that influences company strategies, legal regulations and the social perception of work.

Generation Z: raised in a culture of openness

Generation Z’s sensitivity to economic justice stems from its social experiences. Those born in the 1990s grew up in a world where information is absolutely and universally accessible. Talking about money was no longer as taboo as it was for their parents. Paradoxically, social media, which emphasize differences between people and promote individualism, have caused a growing awareness of inequality between people.

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The full article by Bogusław Kapłon, Head of Employment and Social Security Practice is available in the latest issue of Contact Magazine – No. 71 (166), 2026, published by the British Polish Chamber of Commerce (BPCC).