feel location should be taken into account when deciding pay strategy, according to Mercer’ s 2026 Global Pay Transparency Survey.
ORGANISATION & CULTURE
feel location should be taken into account when deciding pay strategy, according to Mercer’ s 2026 Global Pay Transparency Survey.
For HR leaders, this 9 % statistic should serve as a wake-up call for the‘ new normal.’ Now that the June deadline has passed, this group of early adopters has already turned transparency into a magnet for talent, while the remaining 91 % risk being defined by their silence. As we move into the second half of the year, businesses not only have to adapt to the new working world, but they also have to discover how to bridge the gap between a policy on paper and a culture of trust in the office.
Sharing her conclusion, Laura says:“ Confidentiality has to be balanced with transparency. The ultimate takeaway is that secrecy actively erodes trust. When a workforce assumes management is motivated to conceal rather than reveal pay data, it breeds a level of cynicism that poisons engagement and damages retention.”
Laura therefore advises that HR leaders view this as a critical opportunity, suggesting they shouldn’ t“ wait for local regulations to force our hand.” Instead, they should aim to get ahead of compliance by building trust that leverages transparent compensation practices as a key driver for talent recruitment and retention right now.
“ A truly accountable policy shouldn’ t look like a rigid, one-size-fits-all rulebook,” she notes.“ Instead, employers should build a strong, high-level global baseline policy rooted in integrity and then adapt that policy to align with the specific legal and cultural nuances of the regions in which they operate. By leading with a global standard of fairness while respecting regional contexts, leadership can meet worker expectations without compromising local compliance.”
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