Gender Pay Gap reporting and the evolving regulatory landscape in Ireland

Firstly, 2025 marks the fourth year of mandatory Gender Pay Gap reporting in Ireland and this year we see the introduction of a newly reduced threshold, lowered to include organisations with 50 or more employees. The reporting deadline has also been brought back by one month to November as opposed to December 2025. With the expected arrival of the government’s new reporting portal in late 2025, companies face heightened scrutiny on their GPG reports and the steps they are taking to address any gaps.

On top of these GPG reporting developments, other compliance topics of note include the EU Pay Transparency Directive and auto-enrolment:

• The Pay Transparency Directive is scheduled to come into force in Ireland in June 2026 and will require employers to increase transparency regarding pay in recruitment and salary ranges and requires employers to be able to stand over any differences in pay between employees at a similar grade and reduce any bias. It also includes a focus on any company reporting a GPG of over 5%.
• Similarly, pension auto-enrolment (“My Future Fund”) looks set to start on January 1 2026, which is likely to bring new financial and compliance challenges for Irish employers with all employees aged between 23 and 60 earning over €20,000 and not currently enrolled on a pension, now entitled to equal contributions from both the employer and the government.

In dealing with these new reporting obligations, Irish employers must prepare for a more transparent and accountable future.

GPG reporting: What’s new in 2025

The new reforms to Gender Pay Gap reporting this year pose the biggest and most immediate challenges to Irish employers. From 2025, the threshold for mandatory reporting is reduced to organisations with 50 or more employees, significantly widening the scope. In practice, this brings an estimated 6,000 additional businesses into the framework of the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021.

Key changes associated with the updated legislation include:

• Earlier reporting deadline: Employers are required to choose a June snapshot date of their payroll data and ensure their gender pay gap report is publicly available by November 2025, one month earlier than in the previous four years.
• New Gender Pay Gap reporting portal: A new public gender pay gap reporting portal is expected to launch in autumn 2025. For the first time, all public and private sector reports will be consolidated in a single searchable database, accessible to employees, stakeholders and the wider public. While this will streamline publication, it also raises the stakes: companies can no longer quietly post their report on a corporate website; results will be instantly comparable, searchable and open to scrutiny.

Reporting challenges & lessons learnt to date

Four years of reporting have revealed a wide variation in how Irish organisations approach GPG disclosures. Many businesses have met the bare minimum requirements – providing data with little explanation or context. Others have chosen a more strategic path, providing detailed context and narrative on their GPG data, enabling them to stand out among their peers and comparators as a champion of EDI in their sector or industry.

There have also been inconsistencies in how organisations present their gender pay gap data, which can result in less transparency and added confusion for the public. In addition, it is important to note that GPG reporting does not necessarily reflect equal pay for equal work – significant gaps may be attributed to structural factors such as the underrepresentation of women in senior roles. Clear and consistent narratives are therefore essential for explaining results and avoiding misinterpretation.

Risks and opportunities in the age of transparency

The new reporting portal is a game-changer. For employers, it carries both risks and opportunities.

On the risk side, unexplained or unaddressed pay gaps will be more visible than ever before. Stakeholders – including employees, unions, media and customers – will be able to benchmark and question results instantly. A poorly communicated report risks fuelling dissatisfaction internally and reputational damage externally.

Yet there is also a clear opportunity. Employers who take ownership of their data, publish meaningful commentary and demonstrate progress can distinguish themselves as leaders in equity and accountability. Transparency, if embraced rather than feared, can build trust and confidence in an organisation’s culture.

A chance to lead: How employers can stay ahead

Compliance is the starting point – not the end goal. The real test for Irish employers in 2025 and beyond will be how they utilise these obligations to create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Those who simply meet the minimum will survive regulatory scrutiny, but those who go further, embracing transparency and embedding equity into their culture, will thrive in the eyes of employees, investors and the wider public.

Irish employers should act now to prepare. Practical steps include:

• Start early: Analyse June payroll data well ahead of the November deadline to allow time for meaningful review and narrative development.
• Craft strong narratives: Go beyond compliance by explaining the “why” behind the figures and setting out clear plans to address gaps.
• Prepare for portal submission: Ensure data is accurate and contextualised before it enters the public domain.
• Communicate openly: Share results transparently with employees, stakeholders and the public, demonstrating accountability and progress.