Will new pay transparency regulations consign classic spreadsheets to the dustbin of history? HR needs a new data architecture.
Implementing the pay transparency directive is not merely a legal and organisational challenge for HR teams. It is also a test of companies’ technological maturity. Employers will evaluate positions, assign employees to appropriate pay levels, analyse the pay gap, and prepare salary information taking all variables into account. In practice, this may entail working with large volumes of sensitive data, where relying solely on spreadsheets for processing can become less efficient and more prone to errors.
For years, spreadsheets were the natural tool for supporting HR and payroll reporting. In many organisations, they are still used today to prepare data for analyses, payroll reports, or compilations shared with external providers. According to the global Sapient Insights (Annual HR Systems Survey) report, even in large organisations, over 60% of HR teams still use Excel. On a limited scale, using spreadsheets might have worked well. However, a challenge may arise when the organisation needs to regularly update data, compare remuneration, examine averages and medians, analyse the pay gap, and respond to employee inquiries – requirements that will be introduced by national pay transparency regulations.
– For years, the spreadsheet has been a primary tool for many HR departments. However, with the advent of pay transparency regulations, the scale and frequency of data-related work will change. Job evaluation, analysis of salary medians and averages, gender pay gap assessment, and the preparation of information for employees require data that is up-to-date, consistent, and securely stored. This is a natural moment for HR to transition from manually prepared files to systems designed to handle such sensitive information – points out Anna Voit, Deputy Director for MyBenefit Product Development at Benefit Systems.
Payroll data requires a more secure environment
One of the challenges associated with pay transparency will be the initial workload. Companies will need to organise their job structures, assign employees to appropriate roles and levels, and prepare the data necessary to assess pay disparities. The Grant Thornton “Pay Transparency in Poland” report indicates that approximately 12% of medium-sized and large enterprises have not yet implemented a job evaluation process.[1]
[1] Report: Pay Transparency in Poland
Attempting to process such a volume of information in spreadsheets can quickly become an operational bottleneck. Every export, file copy, manual adjustment, or transfer of a report to another person increases the risk of error, inconsistency, and loss of control over the data flow. When it comes to remuneration-related information, the consequences are particularly sensitive, as they concern an area that directly affects employees’ trust in their employer.[2],[3]
[2] Cost of a data breach 2025 | IBM
[3] 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) | Verizon
– Payroll data requires a different level of caution than standard operational reports. It is not just about regulatory compliance, but about employee trust and the security of the organisation. Therefore, limiting manual file processing and the number of people with access to full databases is becoming increasingly important. A closed system operating in an isolated environment allows for better control over who has access to information, how it is processed, and how it can be used for reporting – emphasises Anna Voit.
Automation instead of manual file handling
Benefit Systems is developing this type of architecture as part of its HR Tools solutions. The system is based on separate instances accessible only to authorised users within the given organisation. This allows payroll data to be aggregated, updated, categorised, anonymised, and reported in a controlled environment, without the need to work with files circulating between teams. From the perspective of HR, the CIO, the CISO, or the CFO, this means greater process predictability, improved access control, and the mitigation of certain risks associated with the manual handling of sensitive information. At the same time, automation makes it possible to reduce the number of people with access to the full dataset and to work with more up-to-date information than in the traditional reporting model based on periodic exports.
– Automation does not replace the role of HR, but it relieves the department of the most tedious part of the work. If the system supports data aggregation and enables the preparation of reports based on up-to-date information, the HR department can focus on analysis, recommendations, and communication with the business. This is particularly important in a situation where new regulations will increase reporting frequency and employee expectations regarding data transparency – says Joanna Liksza, MyBenefit expert at Benefit Systems and Head of the Compensation & Benefits postgraduate programme at Lazarski University.
HR Tools as a response to the new scale of reporting
Solutions that help companies transition from working with scattered files to a more organised data environment are already appearing on the market. Among the HR tools developed by Benefit Systems, the Compensation Module within the MyBenefit cafeteria platform is of particular importance.
The Compensation Module is designed to support the development of a modern compensation system based on competencies, results, and objective performance assessment criteria. Its role is to facilitate the analysis of compensation consistency, fairness, and competitiveness, as well as to support job mapping, career path development, and the definition of clear criteria for advancement and promotion.
However, a closed IT environment does not imply a lack of flexibility. Tools of this type can be tailored to the specific requirements of organisations and industries. This is particularly important in areas where standards for security, compliance, and access control are especially high, such as the medical and financial sectors or large organisations with distributed structures.
The MyBenefit Compensation Module will ultimately also enable the automation of data transfers from other systems via API and SFTP, automatically retrieving data such as age, gender, date of birth, employment date, contract type, and pay rate from HR and payroll systems.
Can technology strengthen the role of HR?
– Pay transparency is a challenge, but it can also strengthen HR’s position within the company. Organisations that treat it solely as an administrative obligation will likely focus on minimal regulatory compliance. Those that use this moment to organise their data, processes, and tools will gain better control over compensation policy and a stronger foundation for discussions with employees and management – sums up Joanna Liksza.
Therefore, a fresh start for HR technology does not consist of imposing further systems on companies. It involves demonstrating that, given the growing volume of data, new reporting obligations, and the increasing sensitivity of HR information, a closed, automated, and flexible IT environment becomes a natural step in an organisation’s development. In the era of pay transparency, companies capable of combining data security, up-to-date reporting, and mature employee communication are likely to be better prepared.
Agnieszka Bemowska-Niewiarowska
Benefit Systems od ponad 20 lat pozostaje liderem polskiego rynku świadczeń pozapłacowych oraz jednym z najważniejszych graczy w branży fitness w regionie. Spółka od lat wyznacza kierunki rozwoju rynku, tworząc nowoczesne rozwiązania, które wspierają dobrostan pracowników i promują aktywny styl życia. Flagowym produktem Benefit Systems jest Program MultiSport – najbardziej rozpoznawalny i najchętniej wybierany program sportowy w Polsce, zapewniający dostęp do tysięcy obiektów sportowych i rekreacyjnych. Silne portfolio Spółki uzupełniają platforma kafeteryjna MyBenefit oraz kompleksowy program wellbeingowy Multi.Life, tworzące unikalny ekosystem benefitów dla firm dbających o swoich pracowników. Benefit Systems dynamicznie rozwija swoją obecność także za granicą. Oferta sportowa Spółki jest dostępna w Czechach, na Słowacji, w Bułgarii, Chorwacji i Turcji, co umacnia jej pozycję jednego z kluczowych dostawców usług wellbeingowych w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej. Grupa jest również ważnym operatorem klubów fitness na sześciu rynkach, a w Polsce odpowiada m.in. za dobrze znane sieci: Fabryka Formy, FitFabric oraz Zdrofit. Misją Benefit Systems jest inspirowanie do aktywności fizycznej i troska o zdrowie na każdym etapie życia. Dlatego Spółka prowadzi liczne inicjatywy edukacyjne i prozdrowotne dla dzieci, dorosłych i seniorów, m.in. poprzez Fundację MultiSport. Jej działania potwierdzają, że rola lidera to nie tylko skala, lecz także realny wpływ społeczny. Od 2018 roku Benefit Systems należy do prestiżowej społeczności B Corp, zrzeszającej firmy, które w biznesie kierują się najwyższymi standardami odpowiedzialności i zaangażowania społecznego. Więcej informacji na benefitsystems.pl oraz biuroprasowe.benefitsystems.pl.
