Gender Equality Across Europe: Between Compliance Obligations and Strategic Priorities

European Employment Insights – June 2026

Employment professionals from Andersen across more than 20 jurisdictions have contributed to the latest edition of the Employment Insights newsletter, providing an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the most significant developments in European employment law.

The publication serves as a valuable resource for businesses and HR professionals, covering the latest legislative developments, case law trends, and guidance issued by national authorities across Europe. Particular attention is devoted to developments in collective bargaining and, above all, to a comparative analysis of the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, with a country-by-country overview of its transposition and the practical implications for employers and businesses.

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Gender Equality in Austria

As EU Member States implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive, employers are facing new legal obligations, regulatory uncertainty, and a significant increase in organisational and administrative requirements. These issues are explored by Marlene Wachter, Partner at CHG Czernich Rechtsanwälte (Andersen collaborating firm in Austria), and Uberto Percivalle, Partner at Andersen in Italy, who discuss how companies can prepare for the new era of pay transparency.

According to Marlene Wachter, while the Directive strengthens the principle of equal pay, it also reduces employers’ flexibility in managing compensation policies and negotiating salaries—two key elements in attracting and retaining talent. The greatest challenge, however, lies in its practical implementation. Companies are now required to establish structured and transparent job evaluation criteria and conduct a comprehensive review of their existing remuneration systems.

This process entails not only operational complexity but also considerable legal uncertainty, particularly regarding concepts that remain insufficiently defined, such as “work of equal value.” Businesses are therefore required to adapt their remuneration frameworks, often through significant organisational and financial efforts, while preserving their economic sustainability.

Despite these challenges, the Directive also presents a strategic opportunity. By reviewing their pay structures, companies can identify and address not only gender pay gaps but also broader structural inequalities. Transparent and objective remuneration systems strengthen employee trust, improve engagement and retention, and enhance competitiveness in attracting new talent.

Another key challenge is the fact that the Directive has not yet been fully implemented in several Member States, creating legal uncertainty and requiring employers to prepare for rules that are still evolving at national level.

Finally, the Directive will significantly reshape recruitment practices. Employers will be required to provide greater salary transparency from the earliest stages of the hiring process and will no longer be allowed to ask candidates about their previous salary. This shifts the focus towards the value of the role and the candidate’s qualifications, promoting fairer and more structured recruitment processes while strengthening employer branding.

Gender Equality in Italy

For Italy, Uberto Percivalle, Partner and Head of the Employment & Labor Service Line, examined the latest developments in Italian employment law, with particular focus on the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive.

Italy Implements the EU Pay Transparency Directive

On 1 June 2026, Law No. 96 of 7 May 2026 was published in the Italian Official Gazette, officially implementing Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency into Italian law.

The new legislation establishes that both national legislation and collective bargaining agreements must ensure remuneration systems and job classification criteria based on objective and gender-neutral standards, guaranteeing equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.

Among its key provisions, employees are granted the right to pay transparency both before recruitment and throughout the employment relationship. Workers are entitled to receive information on the criteria used to determine pay, applicable salary levels and, where provided by law, to exercise their right to access pay-related information, thereby strengthening the tools available to combat the gender pay gap.

Ebola Screening Measures for Travellers Arriving in Italy

By Order of 29 May 2026, the Italian Ministry of Health introduced new preventive measures aimed at limiting the risk of Ebola entering Italy, supplementing the guidelines previously issued on 18 and 29 May.

The measures include, among other things, information obligations for air and sea carriers, self-reporting requirements for travellers arriving from the affected countries, and the designation of Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital in Rome as the national reference centre for the management of suspected or confirmed Ebola cases.

New UNI Standard for Artificial Intelligence Professional Profiles

On 30 April 2026, the Department for Digital Transformation of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers announced the publication of UNI Standard 11621-8:2026, dedicated to professional profiles in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

The standard defines the main AI professional profiles, identifying their competencies, responsibilities and expected outcomes, with the objective of establishing a national reference framework for professionals working in the AI sector.

Italian Data Protection Authority Warns About AI Systems Measuring Employees’ Stress Levels

With Decision No. 342 of 14 May 2026, the Italian Data Protection Authority issued a warning to a company marketing an artificial intelligence-based plug-in designed to analyse the sentiment of messages exchanged by employees through chat applications.

Although the Authority concluded that the product, in its current configuration, does not violate data protection legislation, it stressed that the AI Act prohibits AI systems capable of inferring employees’ emotions. The Authority also highlighted the risk that future technological developments could enable more intrusive forms of data processing and therefore urged the software provider to implement measures preventing employers from accessing employees’ individual data.

Dismissal of Employee on Sick Leave Declared Unlawful

The Italian Supreme Court  confirmed the unlawfulness of the dismissal of an employee who, while on sick leave, had carried out occasional amateur activities for a socio-cultural association.

According to the Court, engaging in activities unrelated to one’s work duties during sick leave does not automatically constitute disciplinary misconduct. A dismissal is lawful only where the employer proves either that the employee fraudulently simulated the illness or that the activities performed actually—or even potentially—delayed or compromised the employee’s recovery.

In the present case, neither condition was established. The activities carried out by the employee were found to be occasional, non-professional and consistent with the improvement of her medical condition.

Finally, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the burden of proving the grounds for dismissal rests entirely with the employer, thereby confirming the protection afforded to the employee and dismissing the employer’s appeal.