Labour law and HR 5th edition of the “Time for Equal Pay!” conference – law, practice and responsibility

We spoke as legal experts: Karolina Barałkiewicz-Sokal and Paula Staszak-Urbańska (VON ZANTHIER & DACHOWSKI), alongside a group of interdisciplinary experts who looked at pay transparency from the perspectives of law, business, HR, compensation, change management, and communication:

• Nadia Winiarska – Labour Department, Confederation Lewiatan
• Maciej Rosa – Managing Partner, Consultant at InConsulting
• Anna Makowska – President of the National Anti-Mobbing Association
• Karolina Kałużna – Senior IT Talent Acquisition Specialist at Codelab

A special guest at the conference was also Marcin Stanecki , Chief Labour Inspector, who, as always, brought the invaluable perspective of supervisory authorities and public administration, indicating the likely directions of interpretation and application of the upcoming regulations.

Key takeaways: Implementation is a process, not a one-off action

One message came through loud and clear:

Implementing the pay transparency directive is a process, not a one-off action.

Experts emphasized that:

• it is a strategic project for organizations,
• proper implementation increases employers’ legal safety,
• doing nothing today means pressure, chaos and risk in 2026,
• effective implementation requires a systemic approach: legal, HR, finance and management.

We also reminded that the directive will take effect on 7 June 2026 — and there is much less time for solid preparation than it may seem.

Facts instead of myths

A large part of the conference was devoted to debunking myths that still surround pay transparency:

• transparency ≠ publishing individual salaries,
• the directive ≠ equalizing everyone’s pay,
• this is not just an HR project,
• not implementing will cost more than doing it right.

It was made clear — pay transparency can become a management tool, not just a regulatory obligation.

Strong partners support us

This conference would not have been possible without our patrons and partners, most of whom have supported us since the very beginning. Thank you for your trust, cooperation, and jointly building the quality of this project: the National Labour Inspectorate, Confederation Lewiatan, Greater Poland Employers’ Association, Netherlands-Polish Chamber of Commerce (NPCC), Polish-German Business Circle (DWK), Kamienna Góra Special Economic Zone, Women in Law, ePsycholodzy.pl, ProUp Solutions, InConsulting, National Anti-Mobbing Association, Divercity+.

A strong community and real impact

This year’s edition brought together over 400 participants, and all editions combined — more than 2,000 people. For us, this is a clear signal that the topics of pay equity, counteracting discrimination and mobbing, and building mature organizations are not only timely but genuinely needed.

See you at the next edition

We are already working on the next installment of the conference. The sixth edition will bring even more practice, organizational experiences, up-to-date legislative information, and discussions on how to implement change wisely and safely.

Thank you for being with us. Your presence gives this conference its purpose.