‘Open conversations’ | How pay transparency is helping Specsavers tackle inequities - and attract female talent

With the EU Pay Transparency Directive’s June deadline looming, many UK employers are also taking steps to offer more clarity over their compensation structures and pay data.

For some employers with a footprint in the EU, this is (at least in part) a compliance issue.

But many will also feel it is their duty to act on workplace inequity, regardless of whether legislation dictates that they must.

Specsavers falls into the latter camp. As a multinational retail chain, it is preparing for the Directive as it begins to take shape in some markets from June 2026. Ian Glendinning, Director of Reward and Policy at Specsavers, says the efforts are no mere “compliance exercise.”