Justine Woolf of Innecto: The journey toward reward transparency

Enforcement of the EU Pay Transparency Directive begins in June 2026. With time quickly running out, WTW examines how benefits are central to compliance efforts and the broader implications of pay transparency.

Employee benefits used to be seen as an optional extra including gym memberships, cycle-to-work schemes or discounts at the occasional retailer but expectations from today’s workforce have shifted.

Employee benefits and rewards are powerful tools for engagement, wellbeing and retention, but only if they’re well-utilised by employees. Even the most generous benefits package can fall flat if employees don’t know what’s available or how to access it.

Brexit notwithstanding, smart UK companies are paying attention to the opportunities presented by the EU Pay Transparency Directive.

For employees to feel a deeper sense of belonging to an organisation, they need to feel appreciated for what they do and who they are. It’s about give and take.

Employee progression and long-term succession planning should be core building blocks of any reward strategy.