Our Offer

We help employers turn pay transparency from a compliance obligation into a source of strategic strength. Our focus is on practical, independent guidance that enables you to meet regulatory demands, strengthen governance and build employee trust. All without unnecessary complexity.

We work with HR, Reward and Legal leaders who face tight deadlines, heightened regulatory risk and rising employee expectations under the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Our approach cuts through ambiguity and delivers what matters most: frameworks that satisfy compliance requirements, resonate with employees and demonstrate fairness.

No bloated projects. No wasted time. Just clear, actionable guidance that delivers compliance confidence and visible impact.

Independent advice, practical frameworks, measurable impact

Getting pay equity and transparency right is now a business imperative. Reputational, financial and cultural risks are too significant to ignore. As an independent firm, Merities Consulting provides objective, expert advice grounded in experience, with no sales targets or SaaS software dependencies.

We help employers build and embed transparent pay structures, governance frameworks and communication strategies that can withstand scrutiny and enhance credibility. Whether you’re designing new frameworks, responding to board oversight or aligning with your organisation’s values, our support is tailored to your context and objectives.

You gain clarity for leaders, confidence for employees and trust from your stakeholders.

Connecting strategy, structure and fairness

Implementing pay transparency requires robust technical foundations. Our partnerships with trusted organisations strengthen every stage of delivery:

• Job Evaluation and Architecture (gradar): As an official implementation partner, we help employers design and refine job levelling frameworks that underpin pay equity to meet the EU Directive requirements.

• Fair Pay Certification (EQUAL-SALARY): In collaboration with the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation, we support organisations prepare for independent verification of their fair pay practices and commitment to equity.

• Pay Transparency Alliance: Our membership of this coalition connects us to a network of European reward specialists and technology partners, allowing us to provide clients with deep, current insight into best practice and compliance across Europe.

Together, these partnerships give our clients access to a uniquely connected ecosystem, combining strategic consultancy with proven tools and credible external validation.

Our client, a forward-thinking organisation preparing for upcoming pay transparency legislation, engaged Merities Consulting to guide their pay transparency implementation. 

What distinguished this organisation from its competitors was its remarkably low CEO pay ratio. This impressive ratio was achieved by significantly increasing salaries for Individual Contributors, junior positions critical to their success. However, the lack of external transparency in pay severely limited their ability to attract top talent who were unaware of the competitive salaries offered.

The initiative was strategically divided into two phases.

Phase one concentrated on developing a rigorous reward structure to ensure transparency and fairness in compensation. This included crafting a relevant job-levelling framework to meet their current and future requirements. Additionally, Merities Consulting conducted a thorough analysis of external and internal salary benchmarks to ensure competitiveness and alignment with their compensation philosophy.

Once the foundational elements were in place, Merities Consulting moved to phase two to guide them in defining what pay transparency would mean for their organisation. Ultimately, they decided against full disclosure, recognising that such a drastic change could lead to unforeseen complications. Instead, they published pay ranges and engaged senior managers in a comprehensive change management process, empowering leaders to communicate confidently about the pay factors when approached by candidates and employees.

While crafting a tailored approach took time, the results of their commitment to pay transparency were remarkable.

They quickly noticed an uptick in the quality of candidates applying, particularly those with the right skills, qualifications, and genuine passion for their specialist industry. Moreover, enhanced employee relations were evident, particularly around trust, significantly enriching their positive and supportive workplace culture.

This project illustrates how clear frameworks and practical implementation can transform pay transparency from compliance to a competitive advantage.