Source: Radio New Zealand
Unsplash / Curated Lifestyle
Pay transparency has moved from a nice-to-have to a business priority, even though the topic leaves people feeling uncomfortable about sharing.
A recent change to legislation makes it unlawful for employers to require employees to keep their pay and benefits confidential, which gave workers an opportunity to discover any pay gaps or inconsistencies in salary packages without fear of retaliation.
David Lacire, a senior director at recruitment firm Robert Walters, said the change was about improving clarity, consistency and confidence in how pay decisions were made, rather than publishing the details of everyone’s salary.
He said it was important for employees to understand the principles behind compensation, such as how roles were valued, how progression worked, and how pay was reviewed.
However, he said it would take a cultural shift before people start feeling comfortable talking about their pay around the water cooler, though younger workers may be more inclined to share.
For businesses, he said organisations that take a proactive, structured approach to pay transparency were in a better position to build trust, attract talent and defend their decisions with data.
Lacire said there was so much data available on pay rates, businesses had no where to hide.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/18/pay-packet-secrecy-a-thing-of-the-past/