EQUALITY UPDATE | Law no. 162/2021
Law no. 162/2021 was adopted on 5 November and amended the so-called “Equal Opportunities Code”.
The reform extended mandatory biennial reporting to employers with more than 50 employees, broadened the concept of discrimination and introduced gender-equality certification. It also connected certification with contribution relief and advantages in public procedures.
Multinational employers may have a strong global inclusion policy but still show unexplained Italian differences in classification, variable pay, promotions or exits. Aggregated reporting can expose those patterns and provide evidence in later disputes.
Employers should reconcile HR and payroll data, conduct a privilege-sensitive equal-pay review and record objective factors supporting differences. Certification should reflect real governance and monitoring rather than become a stand-alone badge.