Pay Structure and Internal Equity Review

Run a directional pay-equity self-assessment on two groups in your workforce. Assign each person to a group, enter pay, time in role, and performance, and the workbook shows the raw pay gap, then the gap that remains after accounting for time in role, so you know whether a deeper review under counsel is warranted.

One Excel workbook that screens two groups for a pay gap

A working model, not a blank grid. You sort people into two groups, the workbook measures the gap and what tenure explains, and it opens on a filled-in example so the read is clear before you load your own data.

• Pay Structure and Internal Equity Review. Assign each person to one of two groups and enter pay, time in role, and performance. The workbook returns the raw gap in pay between the groups, then an adjusted gap that accounts for time in role, and opens on a filled-in example so the read is clear before you load your own data.
• The adjusted view, the summary, and what to do next. An Adjusted View tab isolates how much of the gap time in role explains and what is left over. A summary rolls it onto one page. An Action and Privilege tab and a Benchmark and Law tab document the limits of a self-assessment and how to run a real analysis under counsel, so the result is used the way it is meant to be.

Three steps from your pay data to a clear read

You sort people into two groups, the workbook measures the gap, and an adjusted view tells you how much of it tenure explains.

• Build the two groups. Assign each person to Group 1 or Group 2 and enter pay, years in role, and performance.
• Read the raw gap. The workbook shows the average and median pay gap between the groups in dollars and percent.
• Account for tenure, then decide. The adjusted view removes the part of the gap time in role explains and states what is left, so you know whether to escalate it under counsel.

A screen that knows what it is and what it is not

A directional self-assessment points you to where pay looks uneven; it does not deliver a finding, because a defensible finding needs a controlled analysis run under privilege.

• A screen, not a verdict. The workbook reports the gap in plain dollar and percent terms and stops short of claiming a finding, because a pay-equity finding needs a controlled statistical analysis run under privilege.
• The adjustment that matters. Removing time in role shows how much of a gap is explained by tenure rather than by group, which is the first question any real review asks.
• Honest about sample size. The workbook says when a group is too small to read statistically and what a defensible review needs, so a directional result is not mistaken for proof.

Who this review fits and where to go if that is not you

Built for

• An HR or comp lead who wants a structured first look at internal equity before deciding whether to commission a full audit.
• An owner or HR team of one putting eyes on pay for the first time and needing to know where the problems are.
• A consultant or fractional HR lead who runs a directional equity screen for clients and wants the method and its limits documented.

If you are looking for

• A privileged statistical pay-equity audit you can stand behind in a dispute. That is an engagement with employment counsel and an analyst, and this tool routes you there on purpose.
• A whole pay structure to screen against. The Salary Band Builder builds the grades and ranges this review reads people against.

Before you buy

What format is it and can I edit it?

It is one Excel workbook that also works in Google Sheets. Every input and formula is editable, and the file is yours to keep. Duplicate it to screen another pair of groups.

Is this a pay-equity audit?

No, and it does not pretend to be. It is a directional self-assessment that flags where pay looks uneven so you know where to look. A defensible pay-equity audit is a controlled statistical analysis run under attorney privilege. If this screen raises something serious, take it to counsel.

How accurate is the result?

The gap math is exact for the data you enter, and the adjusted view correctly removes the part of the gap that time in role explains. What it cannot do is control for every legitimate factor behind a pay difference, which is the work an audit does, so read each result as a question to investigate, not an answer. On a small group, treat it as directional only.

Does it include market or survey data?

No. It reads the pay, tenure, and performance you enter for your own people. Pull current market data separately if you need it.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.

What happens after I buy?

Checkout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the workbook in Excel or Google Sheets and start with the example before you load your own data. If a file gives you trouble, email support@truestephr.com.

Planning estimates and general business information, not legal or tax advice. This is a directional self-assessment, not a statistical pay-equity audit, and it does not create any privilege. Review anything it surfaces with a qualified employment attorney before you act. Last reviewed June 2026.