How Pay Equity Audits Can Backfire on Your Raise

Companies are conducting pay equity audits at record rates — but a growing number of workers are discovering that their employer's internal review actually justifies keeping wages flat. This episode zooms in on the 2024-2026 wave of 'corrected' pay gaps at firms like Adobe and Citigroup, where public commitments to fairness masked a reality: audits that recalibrated compensation bands downward for some roles while only modestly lifting others. Lucas and Luna unpack the mechanics of regression-based pay models, the difference between 'equity' and 'equality' in comp design, and why a transparent audit doesn't always mean a bigger paycheck. They also walk through a real negotiation tactic: how to request your compa-ratio and market reference points before an audit closes. One concrete takeaway: asking for your percentile rank inside the pay band before the audit results are finalized can lock in a higher starting point. #PayEquityAudit #CompensationTransparency #Adobe #Citigroup #CompaRatio #PayBand #SalaryNegotiation #TotalComp #Careers #WorkplaceFairness #RegressionModel #MarketReferencePoint #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TheCompensationPodcast #LucasAndLuna #PayGapCorrection #AuditBackfire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo