Managing Pay Disparities in the Era of Transparency

**“Pay isn’t just financial. It’s narrative infrastructure. And when the story doesn’t make sense—even quietly—trust collapses.

We’re not just in an era of transparency. We’re in an era of exposure. Pay gaps that were never designed are now being revealed. And they’re forcing a deeper question: Can your compensation system explain itself without apology?

If not, it’s not defensible. And in the era of visibility, only defensible systems survive.”**

—From Managing Pay Disparities in the Era of Transparency by James Woods