What is this meeting about?
The EU Pay Transparency Directive does not target relocation assignments directly, yet Global Mobility is one of its most exposed areas.
In this session, Sofía Guijarro, Global Mobility & Reward expert from Lidl - one of the world's largest retail groups will share why expat populations create structural pay equity risks, even without intentional discrimination. Sofía is guiding us through questions, such as:
- How concepts like equal value and the single source principle extend comparability across borders and legal entities
- Where expat packages are different from typical remuneration structures: benefits, cost splits, and undocumented decision logic
- The hidden risk in gender imbalance: how mobility programs can systematically inflate pay gaps
In addition, Jai Patel, Global Mobility Community lead at Rumbold as well as Eleni Aslani from Cyprus, Founder & CEO of Growth People Pro, with focus on a Holistic Employee Experience. Both of them will weigh in with nuanced examples on gross vs net comparison or employment types such as contractors and EOR. and discussion points.
Join us for an insightful session and bring your questions, reflections, and experiences on balancing EPTD x Global Mobility.
Presentation:
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Key take-aways:
The conversation highlighted a growing realization: while the EU Pay Transparency Directive (EUPTD) does not explicitly target global mobility, it brings to light one of its most complex and under-explored areas. Organizations are beginning to understand that expatriate and international assignee populations cannot be excluded from the pay transparency discussion, especially given their structural impact on gender pay gaps, cross-border comparability, and compensation complexity.
At the same time, the session made it clear that this is not merely a legal or reporting issue—it is fundamentally about fairness, credibility, and organizational trust. As transparency increases, companies will need to move beyond internal logic toward clear, explainable, and defensible narratives about why people are paid differently. The organizations that succeed will be those that treat this as a strategic transformation of their compensation systems, not just a compliance exercise.
- Global Mobility is an emerging transparency risk—not an exception—
. Expat populations are not explicitly mentioned in the directive, but their structure leaves them highly vulnerable. Cross-border comparability, centralized compensation decisions, and complex compensation packages make Global Mobility a hidden risk area. Organizations should not treat mobility as out of scope but rather as a blind spot that requires proactive attention. - “Work of equal value” challenges traditional expat pay logic
The directive evaluates roles based on skills, effort, responsibility, and working conditions, not personal circumstances. This undermines common justifications for expat benefits such as relocation or lifestyle adjustments. Companies must ensure that pay differences are objectively justifiable, not simply based on expat status. - Total compensation visibility is a critical gap-
. Pay is broader than just salary and includes allowances, benefits, and non-payroll elements such as housing or travel. Many organizations lack a complete overview of these components, especially across different systems. Without this visibility, it becomes difficult to explain, defend, or manage pay structures in accordance with transparency requirements. - Perception of fairness will determine success
Even before formal transparency rules are in place, employees already perceive inequalities between local and expat workers. As the right to information expands, these perceptions will intensify. Organizations must be prepared to communicate clearly and consistently, ensuring that pay decisions are not only compliant but also credible in the eyes of employees.
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