Most Companies Have Yet to Implement Pay Transparency
As regulations tighten globally, businesses are struggling to move beyond the initial building phase of salary disclosure systems.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Employment
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A new Aon survey of 1,000 businesses found that while 82 percent of companies are building pay transparency systems, only 11 percent have fully implemented them. The data highlights a significant gap in corporate readiness as legislative mandates spread across the United States and the European Union.
Why it matters
The shift toward mandatory pay clarity is forcing firms to formalize their salary logic and governance structures to satisfy both employee demand and new compliance requirements. Failure to standardize these processes now risks operational friction as more jurisdictions adopt transparency laws.
Of the 1,000 companies surveyed, 82 percent are currently building pay transparency systems, yet only 11 percent have reached full implementation. Meanwhile, one third of firms have not conducted any remediation analysis to address internal pay disparities.
The players
Aon
A global professional services firm specializing in risk, retirement, and health solutions that frequently benchmarks corporate human resources practices.
The details
Building effective transparency requires businesses to establish clear pay decision logic, formalize manager capability, and implement tested response processes. Governance frameworks must be deployed to support these salary decisions at scale, yet 20 percent of firms report they have never utilized remediation procedures for employee inquiries.
Timeline
The Aon Pay Transparency Pulse Survey was conducted in 2026.
Market Landscape
This trend follows the pattern of businesses scrambling to align internal operations with the requirements set by European Union pay transparency directives. The data highlights that legislative pressure is outpacing corporate readiness as 18 U.S. states and the EU implement new clarity laws.
Operators should audit their current pay decision logic and formalize remediation processes before regulatory pressure increases. Management should prioritize building a consistent governance framework, as 33 percent of firms have yet to conduct necessary remediation analysis.
The takeaway
Transparency is shifting from a voluntary HR best practice to a standard compliance requirement. Owners should task leadership with conducting a baseline remediation analysis to identify potential pay gaps before they are surfaced by employees or auditors.
Further reading
For broader trends on human resources compliance, visit the Employment section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Inc..
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Do you believe companies should be legally required to fully disclose how they determine employee pay?
