News
Vacation and additional leave in the Baltics: where the law ends and employer choice begins
2026/06/09
When we talk about vacation, many of us automatically think about summer. July, warm weather, family plans and the school-holiday rhythm we grew up with make summer vacation the natural reference point for many employees. Working life does not always follow the same rhythm. Not everyone can take vacation in summer, and not everyone wants to. This is why employer leave practices should be discussed not only in terms of the legal minimum, but also in terms of whether and how employers give people additional time to recover. In this article, we look at what Figure Baltic Advisory’s 2025 compensation survey benefits data shows about vacation and additional leave practices in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
EU Pay Transparency Directive in the Baltics: What Employers Should Expect After 7 June 2026
2026/06/04
The implementation deadline for the EU Pay Transparency Directive is approaching, and employers across Europe are entering a new phase of compensation governance. While discussions continue in several Member States about readiness, administrative burden and possible delays, the European Commission has sent a clear signal: the Directive is not expected to be postponed, suspended or reduced.
Company events as an employee benefit in the Baltics
2026/05/26
Company events are sometimes seen as a “soft” benefit. Something that is organised when there is room in the budget and someone has time to arrange it. In reality, a company event is a much more meaningful tool for leadership and organisational culture. A well-designed company event helps build a sense of belonging, strengthen relationships and make collaboration easier. People do not work only through processes. They work through relationships. Collaboration, trust, the flow of information and the willingness to help each other do not come only from job descriptions or organisational charts. They also come from whether people know each other, whether they feel comfortable reaching out to each other, and whether they feel that they belong to the same “we”.
Motherhood does not reduce a woman's ability. But too often, it reduces her income.
2026/05/19
It usually happens step by step: time away from work, missed salary increases, delayed career moves, lower pension contributions, less visibility, fewer projects, changed expectations, or a more cautious role after returning to work. This is what economists call an opportunity cost: what a person gives up when choosing one path instead of another. In the case of motherhood, the term must be used carefully. A child, family life and care cannot be reduced to money. But the idea helps us see something that is often hidden: motherhood can carry a real economic cost, and that cost still falls mainly on women. In international research, this is called the motherhood penalty. It does not mean that motherhood itself is a penalty. It means that labour markets, family benefit systems, employer expectations and the unequal division of care often turn motherhood into a long-term income and career disadvantage.
Structured Estonians, hardworking Latvians and bold Lithuanians – how work cultures differ across the Baltics
2026/03/10
The Baltic region is often perceived as a single entity. For many foreign investors, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania tend to blend into one whole. However, when working with people and organizations across all three countries, it becomes clear that behind this shared perception lie three rather distinct work cultures, experiences and approaches to problem-solving. We are united by similar values – education, stability and the desire to receive fair compensation – yet the ways in which we seek to achieve these goals can differ.