Equal pay plans include pay transparency requirement

Employers will have to publish salary information in job adverts under government proposals designed to tackle pay discrimination and strengthen equal pay protections.

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The plans, set out in a government’s equal pay consultation, would introduce a statutory requirement for employers to disclose pay information during recruitment, with ministers arguing that greater transparency would help prevent discriminatory pay practices before they arise.

The consultation, launched by the Office for Equality and Opportunity under equalities minister Seema Malhotra and education secretary Bridget Phillipson, proposes requiring employers to publish pay information in job adverts. Where no advert is used, employers would instead have to provide the information in writing before a candidate attends an interview.

Ministers will consult on whether organisations should publish an exact salary, a salary range or a benchmark rate, and whether information beyond basic pay, such as bonuses or other contractual conditions, should also be included.

The government said pay transparency measures “have been shown to be effective in preventing pay discrimination by establishing the facts before the tribunal process kicks in” and could reduce the likelihood of equal pay claims by encouraging employers to assess roles and pay structures before recruiting.

Alongside mandatory salary disclosure, ministers are also proposing stronger measures for employers found to have committed pay discrimination, or where there is reasonable suspicion that it has occurred. They also plan to reinstate a statutory questionnaire procedure for equal pay cases, allowing claimants to seek information from employers before deciding whether to bring legal action.

The consultation argues that opaque pay practices can contribute to unequal outcomes because employers hold salary information that candidates do not. It says a lack of transparency can allow pay decisions to be influenced by stereotypes relating to gender, ethnicity or disability rather than the requirements of the role.

The consultation puts forward the view that publishing salary information would improve recruitment by helping candidates decide whether to apply and reducing applications from people whose pay expectations differ significantly from the advertised remuneration, saving employers time and resources.

The government said it intends to keep any new requirements proportionate and avoid imposing additional reporting burdens, noting that many employers already published salary ranges voluntarily.

Although pay transparency is not mandatory in the UK, previous CIPD research from 2023 found the practice was more common in the public and voluntary sectors than in the private sector, with employers typically advertising salary ranges rather than fixed salaries.

The proposals mirror pay transparency reforms being introduced across the European Union, where employers with more than 100 staff will be required to disclose salary information for vacancies and will be barred from asking candidates about their salary history. The UK consultation does not propose a ban on salary history questions.

The consultation also sought views on the government’s approach to make the right to equal pay more effective for ethnic minority and disabled people.

As part of its reform agenda, the government is intending to establish an equal pay regulation and enforcement unit, including with the involvement of trade unions.

It also intends to ensure that outsourcing of services can no longer be used by employers to avoid paying equal pay, said the office.

The consultation closes at 5pm on 27 October 2026, after which ministers will consider the responses before setting out the detailed legislative requirements for employers in England, Scotland and Wales. It can be responded to here.