Seminar's Overview
The training need derives from the upcoming enforcement of the EU Pay Transparency Directive and the legal and business changes which organisations will need to understand and apply to their process, policies and business practices. The seminar has a twofold applicability, legal and operational and is targeted at professionals who are responsible for the design, implementation and communication of compensation.
Seminar’s Goals
By the end of the training, participants will be able to:
Knowledge level
- Understand the legislative changes and implications.
- Interpret the key legal requirements and employer obligations.
- Understand the key areas of focus on the business and operational aspect.
- Identify the main legal risks and compliance gaps arising from non-implementation of the Directive.
Skills level
- Assess whether existing HR and pay practices are aligned with the requirements of the Directive.
- Apply the legal requirements of the Directive to recruitment, pay-setting and employee communication processes.
- Identify compliance risks and propose practical corrective actions for employers.
Attitude level
- Appreciate the importance of proactive compliance with pay transparency obligations.
- Value fair, objective and gender-neutral pay practices in the workplace.
- Promote a compliance-oriented and accountable approach to pay-related decision-making.
Participants*
This seminar is designed for HR leaders, HR Managers, HR and Legal professionals, Legal Counsels, SME Business Owners, HR Business Partners, Reward & Compensation Specialists and senior decision-makers who want actionable insights into implementing the Directive effectively and sustainably.
All participants should be currently employed.
*The number of participants is restricted to 28.
Agenda
1. Welcome and Training overview – Updates (30 min)
- Trainers introduction
- Participants introduction
- Overview of the training modules, what will be covered and what are the expectations from participants
2. Overview of the EU Pay Transparency Directive and the Harmonising Cyprus Law (55 min)
- Origins of the new Directive, how it emerged and when will be enforced
- From EU level to National: What Cyprus has done to enforce the Directive locally (current status of legislation, bill drafting, responsible local authority)
- Cyprus Draft Law (2026)
- Legal & Practical Implications for Employers
- Purpose of the Law
- Strengthen the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value
- Eliminate gender-based pay discrimination
- Introduce pay transparency mechanisms
- Enhance enforcement and accountability
- Scope of Application
- All public and private sector employers
- All employees under employment relationship
- Job applicants (pre-employment stage)
- Key Definitions
- Pay: salary + bonuses + benefits (cash or in kind)
- Work of equal value: assessed based on objective criteria
- Gender pay gap: difference in average/median pay
- Direct & indirect discrimination defined
- Including:
- maternity-related treatment
3. Legal Requirements and Employer Obligations on Pay Transparency and Pay Structures (40 min)
- Pay Structures:
- Employers must implement transparent pay structures based on objective, gender-neutral criteria, such as skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions
- Pay Transparency before Employment:
- Candidates must, among others, receive initial salary or initial salary range
- Employers must, among others, not ask about salary history
- Job ads must be, among others, gender-neutral
- Pay Transparency DURING Employment:
- Employers must, among others, disclose criteria for pay and progression
- Employees have, among others, the right to receive average pay by gender for comparable roles
- Employee Rights including, among others, the right to:
- request information directly or via representatives
- receive clear explanations
- be informed by their employer of their rights on an annual basis.
4. Data Protection (GDPR) (20 min)
- Salary data must comply with:
- GDPR (EU 2016/679)
- Data use limited to:
- equality enforcement purposes
- Sensitive data:
- only accessible to specific authorities
5. Enforcement Tools and Protection of Employees (55 min)
- Enforcement Authorities and their powers:
- Ministry of Labour, Labour Inspectorate, Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman)
- Powers include: inspections, investigations, handling complaints
- Employee Remedies:
- Right to:
- file complaints
- bring claims before Labour Court
- Right to:
- Full compensation includes:
- back pay
- lost opportunities
- moral damages
- Burden of Proof:
- shift to employer when discrimination is presumed
- stronger shift if transparency obligations not complied with
- Penalties
- Criminal liability:
- up to €10,000 fine or
- 6 months imprisonment
- Court may order:
- corrective measures
- payment of compensation
- Protection Against Retaliation, as Employees protected from the below, when exercising their rights under the Law
- dismissal
- adverse treatment
6. Examine the Directive from the business lense (15 min)
- Why pay transparency now
- What the Directive aims to achieve
- How it affects HR’s strategic role
7. The EU Pay Transparency Directive: Foundations & Purpose (20 min)
- Background: Gender pay gap in the EU
- Legal basis and timeline for transposition
- Who is covered (employers, workers, job applicants)
- Core principles: transparency, fairness, accountability. Practical exercise: Based on the core principles, where does your organisation fall short (non-compliant)?
8. Pay Transparency Before Employment (25 min)
- What HR Must Change in Recruitment
- Pay Transparency in Job Ads & Recruitment
- Candidate rights
- Practical exercise: Job ad exercise – identify the non-compliance issues.
9. Pay Transparency During Employment (25 min)
- Structural changes the HR must implement
- Employee Rights to Pay Information
- Pay Structures & Job Evaluation Systems
- Prohibition of Pay Secrecy Clauses
10. Pay Reporting Obligations (20 min)
- What Must Be Reported
- Publication & Communication Requirements
- Practical Implications for HR & Payroll Systems
11. Joint Pay Assessment (20 min)
- When is it triggered
- What the Joint Pay Assessment Includes
- HR’s Role in the Assessment
12. Enforcement, Penalties & Litigation Risks (10 min)
- What HR must know:
- Burden of proof shifts to employer
- Compensation for victims of discrimination
- Fines and sanctions
- Protection against retaliation
13. Business Impact & Strategic HR Response (15 min)
- Turning compliance into competitive advantage
- Strategic Implications
- HR action plan
14. Wrap-up and closing (10 min)
- Key takeaways
- Q&A
Services
Our services include:
- Handouts, including the hard copy presentation, examples, case studies, exercises, and additional notes, if applicable.
- Stationery, such as pads, pens, and files.
- Drinks (coffee, tea, etc.) and a buffet lunch.
- A fully equipped training room with WiFi access.
- Certificate of completion.
Registration & Contact
If you wish to register for the seminar, please complete the registration form.
Once your registration is submitted, you will receive an email stating how to proceed with your HRDA registration through the Ermis platform. Upon completion of this step, you will receive a confirmation email which will include the participation fee, including any discounts, if applicable. Kindly note that the payment should be settled at least two days prior to the seminar’s date for your registration to be confirmed.
The programme has been approved by the HRDA. Enterprises participating with their employees who satisfy HRDA’s criteria, are entitled to subsidy. Please note that there are limited seats available, therefore enroll in this seminar as soon as possible.
If you do not receive our confirmation e-mail regarding your registration, your participation cannot be guaranteed.
Cost
Net investment after subsidy from the HRDA of €140: €140 for all eligible participants.
€280 + VAT (19%) for all participants who are non-eligible for the HRDA subsidy.
Extra discounts may apply to the initial price, before the VAT and HRDA subsidy. Please view options below.
Note
We do not provide a soft copy of the presentation for face-to-face seminars. However, if you would like to request one, please contact us. We may be able to provide it, subject to approval. In this case, the cost of the soft copy will be €50 for participants who have already attended the relevant training, or €100 for those who have not.
HRDA Notes
All individuals who wish to attend our HRDA approved training courses, should not only fill out our registration form, but also complete the registration process through the ERMIS platform in order to be approved by the HRDA. Regardless of whether they are claiming the HRDA subsidy or not, each participant will need to complete their registration through ERMIS as a physical person and then register to our training in order to be able to attend (either as an employee whose company is claiming the subsidy or as an individual who is not claiming the subsidy). Please reach out to the HRDA Ermis officers on 22 390 300 for more details regarding the registration as a physical person.
Eligibility of self‑employed individuals: The Schemes are open to any natural person who is registered as self‑employed with the Social Insurance Registry and carries out their activities in areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.
Discounts available
- For three or more (3+) participants from the same company, a 10% discount is available on the total cost, before the VAT and HRDA subsidy. This discount only applies for participants who enroll in the same seminar, on the same day. This discount can only be combined with the early bird discount and the HRDA subsidy, when applicable.
- For individuals/legal entities who/which register in more than two (3+) seminars during the same semester (January-June & July-December), a 10% discount is available on the total cost, before the VAT and HRDA subsidy. This discount only applies for individuals/legal entities who/which enroll in more than two (3+) seminars during the same semester, on the same day. This discount can only be combined with the early bird discount and the HRDA subsidy, when applicable.
- There is a 10% discount for alumni members. This discount should be applied before the VAT and HRDA subsidy and can only be combined with the early bird discount and the HRDA subsidy, when applicable. For more information on our alumni scheme, click here.
- HRDA subsidy for all HRDA approved seminars.
- Please note that while participants may qualify for multiple discounts, a maximum of two discounts, up to a total of 20%, can be applied per registration.
Contact
For any queries, please contact KPMG Academy on +357 22 207 460 or at academy@kpmg.com.cy
CPD
This seminar may contribute to Continuing Professional Development requirements. At the end of the seminar participants will be given a certificate of attendance confirming the total number of training hours (6 CPD).
Trainers
Giannis Drousiotis
Senior Manager, Management Consulting, KPMG Cyprus
Giannis is a Senior Manager in the Management Consulting Department of KPMG Cyprus and a member of People & Change Team. Giannis specialises in providing tailor-made advisory services to clients from both the private and public sectors, including strong experience in the areas of human resource management, talent management, competency framework design and assessment, performance management, workforce optimisation, business restructuring and operational excellence, process reengineering, job evaluation and executive recruitment in small- and large-scale projects.
Giannis is leading a wide range of assignments within the People and Change Services, working extensively with governmental and semi-governmental organisations. He is an HRDA approved vocational trainer and has delivered, through multiple formats, including classroom training, e learning, blended learning, and group workshops, numerous seminars and training programmes for both private and public sector organisations and has served as the lead trainer in a series of seminars for public sector employees on the implementation of the new perfo
Loizos A. Papacharalambous
Partner at KOUSHOS KORFIOTIS PAPACHARALAMBOUS LLC
Loizos A. Papacharalambous is a Partner in the Litigation and Advisory Department at Koushios Korfiotis Papacharalambous LLC. He specialises in advisory and litigation across areas including public procurement, medical law, commercial disputes, banking and finance, employment, insurance recovery, and international contracts, representing both private and public sector clients.
He has held senior roles such as Vice-Chairman of CYTA, Chairman of the Housing Finance Corporation, and Vice-Chairman of the Nicosia Bar Association.
Loizos is experienced in litigation, arbitration, and public contracts law. He has been a member of the Cyprus Bar since 2004, Gray’s Inn, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators since 2011. He holds degrees from the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London and is currently pursuing an MSc in Finance and Banking.