In this blog, the CIPD’s membership development and communications manager Lisa Hogan and Meg Dunphy, Policy and Engagement take us through everything people professionals need to know to get prepared for gender pay gap reporting this month.
As we go into June, organisations across Ireland are preparing for 2026 gender pay gap reporting.
This is the second year for organisations with over 50 employees to report on their gender pay gap. A single day this month will anchor your gender pay gap report for 2026. You then have five months from that date to publish your report on your own website, or somewhere else where it’s accessible to the public.
New for this year is the launch of the Gender Pay Gap Portal. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has developed an online centralised reporting database. With legislation being drafted to amend the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021, it’s expected that employers will be required to report their gender pay gap information through this portal in the future. For now, you can opt in to report via the portal on a voluntary basis.
The EU Pay Transparency Directive is due to be transposed into Irish law by June 2026, but like many EU states, Ireland will not meet that deadline. When it arrives, we expect that to have an impact on our gender pay gap reporting regime. We’re seeing greater scrutiny, more transparency and higher expectations of employers on pay equity. Getting your reporting right now isn't just about compliance, it's about being ready for what comes next.
Here's what you need to focus on right now.
Choose your June 2026 snapshot. This doesn’t have to be the same dates as you reported on in 2025. For example, if your chosen reporting period for 2025 was from 19 June 2024 to 20 June 2025, you don’t have to follow the same dates. You can choose a different date within June 2026 for your current snapshot and take the 12-month period immediately preceding and including that snapshot date, for example, Friday 26 June 2026.
Once you’ve chosen your 2026 snapshot, start to collate your data. As per last year, you'll need to report on seven distinct metrics: mean and median hourly remuneration; part-time employees and those on temporary contracts; bonus and benefits-in-kind data; and your quartile remuneration breakdown by male and female employees. If your company is a listed company, it’s mandatory for you to report on the percentages of male and female directors in your company. It’s also optional for all employers to report on the percentage of male and female employees on your executive team.
It’s important to note that since 2025, the definition of basic pay was updated to include payments made during periods of statutory leave, such as maternity and paternity leave. Make sure your payroll team knows this is included.
While the headline number matters, it's the quartile breakdown that tells the real story. It shows where women are concentrated in your pay distribution, and where they're absent.
If your lower quartile is predominantly female and part-time, that's almost certainly what's driving your gap, not your pay policy. Flexible working is valuable, but is it available consistently across roles? In your last two promotion rounds, how many successful candidates were working part-time? If the answer is very few, your progression practices may be creating a penalty for flexible workers.
You're legally required to explain the reasons for any gaps and set out what actions you're taking. This is where many reports can fall flat. A strong action plan is evidence-based, it’s specific, it has named owners, measurable targets and realistic timelines. For example, "increase female representation in the upper quartile from X% to Y% by June 2027" is a credible and accountable action to take, "we are committed to gender balance" is not.
It’s also important to note that a gender pay gap is not the same as unequal pay. Paying women less than men for the same work is illegal. Your report should make this clear, explain the structural factors at play, and show that you understand your own organisation.
The EU Pay Transparency Directive closes persistent gender pay gap loopholes and will reshape how organisations talk about pay. While it’s now likely to be transposed into Irish law in quarter three of 2026, don't wait for it to land before you act.
You'll need to provide salary ranges at recruitment stage, remove pay secrecy clauses and not ask candidates about their pay history. Employees will have the right to request their own pay data and the average pay for comparable roles, and you'll need to respond within set timeframes. You'll also need to demonstrate equal pay for work of equal value using objective criteria: skills, effort, and responsibility. And, critically, the burden of proof shifts to the employer in any pay discrimination claim.
The reporting requirements will tighten too. Staged gender pay gap reporting begins in June 2027 for larger employers, extending to smaller organisations over time. Where unexplained gaps of 5% or more exist, employers may need to carry out joint pay assessments and take corrective action.
These are not distant concerns. Pay gaps across the EU still sit at around 11%, with Ireland at 8.4%. As access to pay data increases and legal processes become more accessible, more equal pay claims are expected.
Start preparing now - audit your pay structures, strengthen recruitment practices, train managers, and build the systems you'll need to provide accurate pay information quickly and confidently.
Too often, gender pay gap reporting becomes a once-a-year exercise, another job to action and tick off the list once complete. This reporting cycle can be used as a genuine diagnostic and used to drive real, measurable change. The most effective organisations are using this moment to challenge assumptions, strengthen decision-making and build workplaces where everyone has equal opportunity to succeed.