- EU Directive 2023/970 requires all member states to implement salary transparency laws by June 7, 2026 — employers must disclose pay ranges in job postings
- 5 countries (France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Ireland) already have active transparency laws; 9 are working on transposition; Poland has not yet started
- Workers gain the right to request gender-disaggregated pay data, and companies with unjustified gaps above 5% must conduct joint pay assessments
What Does the Directive Require?
The directive establishes three pillars. First, pre-employment transparency: employers must include a salary range in every job posting or communicate it before the first interview, and cannot ask about salary history. Second, in-employment transparency: workers can request average pay data for their role broken down by gender. Companies with 100+ employees must publish regular pay gap reports. Third, enforcement: member states must create enforcement bodies, and workers who suffer pay discrimination are entitled to full compensation including back pay and bonuses.
Key Deadlines
The directive was adopted May 10, 2023 and published May 17, 2023 in the Official Journal. Member states have until June 7, 2026 to transpose it. Pay gap reporting starts in 2027 for companies with 250+ employees, 2028 for 150+, and 2031 for 100+. Countries like France, Sweden, and Ireland already had strong frameworks before the directive.
Your Rights Under Pay Transparency
As a job seeker, you have the right to know the salary range for any position before or during the first interview. You cannot be asked about your salary history. As an employee, you can request written information about your individual pay level and the average pay for workers doing the same or equivalent work, broken down by gender. If a pay gap above 5% exists for the same role and cannot be justified by objective criteria, the employer must conduct a joint pay assessment with worker representatives.
What Employers Must Do
Employers face new obligations at every stage: salary ranges in job postings, no salary history questions, pay information on request, and gender-neutral pay structures. Companies with 250+ employees report pay gaps annually from 2027; 150+ from 2028; 100+ from 2031. The burden of proof in pay discrimination cases shifts to the employer.
Implementation Status by Country
Click any country to see detailed transparency rules, gender pay gap data, employer obligations, penalties, and timelines.
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When does the EU Pay Transparency Directive take effect?
The directive was adopted in May 2023. All EU member states must transpose it into national law by June 7, 2026. Some countries like France, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, and Ireland already have active transparency laws that meet or exceed many of the directive's requirements.
Do employers have to put salary ranges in job postings?
Yes. Under the directive, employers must provide the initial pay level or salary range in the job posting or communicate it before the first interview. They also cannot ask candidates about their current or previous salary. This applies across all EU member states once transposed.
What happens if my employer does not comply?
Member states must establish effective penalties. These vary by country — for example, Germany plans fines up to €500,000, France can impose up to 1% of payroll, and Spain up to €225,000. Workers who suffer pay discrimination are entitled to full compensation including back pay.
Which countries already have salary transparency laws?
Five countries covered by EuroSalary already have active transparency frameworks: France (Index égalité since 2019), Spain (salary audits for 50+ companies), Portugal (Law 60/2018), Sweden (annual pay surveys since 2009), and Ireland (Gender Pay Gap Act 2021). Others like Belgium, Italy, and the Nordic states have partial measures in place.
Does the directive apply to Switzerland?
No. Switzerland is not an EU member and is not bound by the directive. However, under its Federal Act on Gender Equality, companies with 100+ employees must conduct pay equity analyses. Switzerland's framework is aligned with EU principles but operates independently.