Alon

02/06/2026

When HR teams handle sensitive pay data, the questions go beyond who has access.

Two practical points tend to come up:
- Where the data is processed
- Which legal framework governs it

These matter because compensation data sits at the intersection of privacy, access, and reporting obligations.

We built Alon with data residency and governance in mind, so teams have a clear answer to both questions.

If this is something your organisation is working through, we are happy to share how we approach it.

If you would like to talk, send us a message or find the links below.

21/05/2026

If you work with HR data, you may be asked a question that sounds simple: where is our data stored and processed?

Data residency tells you where data sits. Data sovereignty asks a broader set of questions: which jurisdiction applies, who can access it, and how those choices can be evidenced.

For HR teams, this matters because compensation, contracts, performance, and reporting data rarely sits in one system or one region. The ability to explain how employee data moves and who has access is becoming a governance requirement, not a preference.

We wrote about this on our blog, covering what data sovereignty means in practice, how it differs from residency and localisation, and what questions HR teams can bring to IT and procurement.

Reach out or find the links below.

12/05/2026

The European Commission has adopted the Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030. This document sets the direction for equality and women's rights across the EU for the next five years.

The strategy includes the implementation of the Pay Transparency Directive, closing the 13% gender pay gap, and addressing occupational segregation in STEM and HEAL sectors. Intersectionality is also introduced as a horizontal principle.

For organisations, the framework outlines what documented fairness and data integrity in salary structures can look like.

We built Alon to support teams working through these implementation requirements. If you would like to see how the platform assists with reporting and pay analytics, we are happy to walk you through it.

Drop us a message or find the links below.

07/05/2026

Employee data such as salary, contracts, and payroll information is personal data under 𝐆𝐃𝐏𝐑. The 𝐄𝐔 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐜𝐭 restricts third-country access to data stored in the EU. The 𝐄𝐔 𝐏𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 requires accurate, governed reporting built on that same data.

Three legal frameworks apply to one employee dataset.

A 2026 survey found that 44% of European organisations doubt their cloud provider can guarantee sovereignty (Kiteworks, 2026). Where pay data is stored becomes a compliance question as much as a technical one.

We built Alon to support on-premise, private cloud, and public cloud deployment, so the choice stays with the organisation. If you are working through how data residency affects your pay transparency readiness, we are here to talk it through.

Send us a message or find the links below.

28/04/2026

𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲.

Compensation records contain salary history, tax identifiers, bank details, and benefit elections. Under GDPR, this is personal data. Under the EU Data Act, cloud providers must implement safeguards preventing unauthorised third-country access. Under the EU Pay Transparency Directive, this same data feeds mandatory gender pay gap reports.

Three regulations. One data category. And in many organisations, it sits in a system chosen for convenience rather than control.

A 2026 European data sovereignty survey found that 44% of organisations cite concerns over whether their cloud providers can genuinely guarantee sovereignty. Not as a policy question, but as an architecture one. Contracts cannot override foreign government access laws. Only infrastructure-level controls can.

Alon can be deployed three ways: 𝐨𝐧-𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝, or 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝. You decide where your compensation data lives and who controls it.

Contact us to book a demo. Details in the comments.

21/04/2026

"How was my pay decided?"

More managers will hear this question. Under the EU Pay Transparency Directive, employees will have the legal right to request written information about how their pay compares to colleagues performing work of equal value.

Most managers want to answer honestly. The problem is not intent. It is that the criteria behind the decision are often unclear, undocumented, or scattered across systems that no one checks until someone asks.

Korn Ferry found that one organisation saw a 20% jump in employee understanding after replacing complex pay manuals with clear, simple talking points. Confidence does not come from a script. It comes from visible role definitions, clear levels, and pay logic that a manager can point to and explain.

The conversation is coming. The question is whether the data behind it is ready.

14/04/2026

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒂𝒚.

It started in 1957 when the Treaty of Rome first established the principle of equal pay for men and women in European law.

Since then, directives were passed. Court rulings were won. National laws were introduced.

But the EU gender pay gap is still at 11.1% in 2024.

What changed in 2023 is the approach.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023/970) does not just state a principle. It creates obligations: pay reporting, right to information, burden of proof on employers, and real consequences for non-compliance.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝟕 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.

That is less than 3 months away.

If your organisation has not started preparing, the question is not whether you need to act. It is how quickly you can.

07/04/2026

To report your pay gap, you must first group your roles into categories of "equal value". And to group roles reliably, you need a classification system.

The 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎) is the shared framework that regulators will expect across the EU. It groups jobs objectively based on skill level and specialisation, providing the foundation for everything that follows.

The compliance process is simple but strict:
✓ Classify roles
✓ Group equal-value work
✓ Calculate pay gaps
✓ Report to regulators

Classification is the starting point. Alon is how you get from classification to compliance.

Read our latest breakdown on ISCO and how to prepare for the EU Pay Transparency Directive in the comments below.

31/03/2026

On the final day of 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, we’re sharing a reflection from our founder, Marilag Svennevig, on leadership and building a business against the odds.

This year marks the 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 of Dewise, a Denmark and Philippines-based IT consulting and solutions company she founded. Only about 1 in 3 businesses reach a full decade, and the odds are even lower for women-led tech companies. Over the past 10 years, Marilag has defied some statistics in women-led companies. Today, she is building Alon as a founder and CTO to help leaders take real action on workplace equity and ensure equal pay for equal work.

Read her full reflection on the journey behind the numbers 👇

🔟𝐓𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 — and I’m proudly owning it. This picture tells part of the story of how it all began. Taken just a few days after we officially registered Dewise, I was on my way home from a free tech ...

25/03/2026

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬.

Our Founder, Marilag Svennevig, recently shared her reflections on LinkedIn following our 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 discussion.

Here are a few key takeaways:

🚫 Salary discussions remain a taboo
🚫 Pay negotiations are often subjective
☑️ It is crucial to know your rights and push for transparency

"According to studies, it will take around 123 years to close the pay gap. I believe we can shorten that. Speak up, stay aware and push for transparency."

Watch a few moments from the event below, and read her full takeaways via the link in the comments.