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PDR 125:2022 and Pay Transparency: certification as an advantage?

UNI/PdR 125:2022 is one of the most widely used tools for structuring gender equality policies. With the arrival of pay transparency, it can become a significant advantage.

In recent years UNI/PdR 125:2022 has become one of the most widely used tools for Italian companies to structure gender equality policies and demonstrate their stance on sustainability and inclusion. Through a management system and a set of key performance indicators, organizations systematise the measures aimed at the wellbeing of their people to create an inclusive environment.

The arrival of the European pay transparency directive, to be transposed by 7 June 2026, marks a further step forward. The issue is no longer voluntary: all organizations are called to measure up to the new rules and to explain, document and justify any pay differences.

PdR 125 already measures an organizational infrastructure

PdR 125:2022 is not just a certification but a tool that, used thoughtfully, drives improvements on several fronts: it analyses company culture, long-term vision, governance involvement, HR processes, data collection systems, the ability to prevent discrimination and the level of organizational structure. In other words, it builds a system.

And this is exactly the point of contact with pay transparency: the directive requires collecting, analysing and justifying pay data. Many already-certified companies start at an advantage, not only for the data collected but for the systematic approach now in place.

Where PdR 125 really helps

Organizations that have seriously taken on the journey already collect gender pay gap data, monitor the female presence across organizational levels, analyse promotions and turnover, and track indicators related to parenthood and access to managerial roles. Until now these tools had a voluntary or reputational function; with pay transparency they become substantive obligations.

Managing HR processes is also an advantage: the directive requires demonstrating why two people are paid differently, how bonuses and raises are assigned, and on what criteria promotions happen. More mature companies already have job descriptions, selection procedures, objective progression systems and formalised evaluation criteria.

There is also a cultural aspect: pay transparency forces organizations to question the mechanisms that generate the gap. Bias, inclusive language, access to opportunity, work-life balance and leadership are no longer just "values" topics but factors linked to the sustainability of the pay system.

The areas where companies are most fragile

Beyond the legal obligation, the directive is also a reputational driver: as already happens with the PdR 125:2022 certification, compliance becomes a source of attractiveness for new talent, of retention and a positive signal for stakeholders.

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