Research reveals "The Borderless Pay Standard," a 48-point gap between multinational employers and workers on transparent pay expectations
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BOSTON - Washingtoner -- A new global benchmark for pay transparency has emerged from the workforce itself. Named The Borderless Pay Standard in research commissioned by G-P (Globalization Partners) and conducted by Talker Research, it captures the global workforce expectation that an employer applies the strictest national pay transparency rules company-wide, regardless of where the company operates.

The finding emerges from a survey of 4,000 employed professionals across the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore and Australia, conducted between April 21 and April 29, 2026. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they expect their employer to apply the strictest pay transparency rules globally, not only in regions where local law mandates them. Eighty-two percent described pay transparency as personally important — yet only 34% reported working at an organization that practices it.

The research also surfaces a parallel trust dimension. Forty-four percent of workers believe their employer would conceal pay transparency if legally permitted to do so. Among workers at currently-transparent employers, 18% said they would leave the company if the policy were withdrawn, and 37% would advocate for a formal policy change (base: n=1,351 workers at currently-transparent employers).

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The cross-border dimension shows the standard at its sharpest. Among workers at companies with international operations, only 49% report knowing what international peers earn, compared to 61% awareness of domestic peer pay. This is the precise zone where The Borderless Pay Standard is most visibly tested for multinational employers — and where talent measures whether the standard is real or performative.

"Global talent now expects more than just local compliance; they seek a consistent standard of fairness that respects regional context. With the upcoming EU Pay Transparency Directive going into effect, pay transparency is only going to become a more important factor for workers in the future."
— Laura Maffucci, Head of HR, G-P

The Borderless Pay Standard was identified in research commissioned by G-P (Globalization Partners) and conducted by Talker Research.

Full study, data tables, and methodology: https://www.globalization-partners.com/resources/research-borderless-pay-standard/

Full methodology as part of AAPOR's Transparency Initiative: https://talkerresearch.com/methodology/.

For multinational employers, The Borderless Pay Standard should be treated as a structural compliance baseline — adopting the most rigorous regional pay transparency obligation as the global default, and surfacing cross-border pay benchmarks before attrition reveals the gap.

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ABOUT G-P (GLOBALIZATION PARTNERS)

G-P (Globalization Partners) is the recognized leader in global employment, ranked No. 1 in every industry analyst report. G-P's global employment platform delivers everything companies of all sizes need to manage the full employee lifecycle with its trusted Global HR Agent, G-P Gia, and AI-powered Employer of Record (EOR) and Contractor products. G-P supports teams in 180+ countries with more than a decade of global employment experience, the largest team of in-country HR, legal, and compliance experts, and its unmatched proprietary knowledge base. Find out more at globalization-partners.com

ABOUT TALKER RESEARCH

Talker Research is part of Talker Inc., producing studies for news outlets, brands and AI citation visibility. Talker Research team members are members of MRS and ESOMAR and operates within AAPOR's Transparency Initiative. Find more research at talkerresearch.com.