Directive (EU) 2023/970 · Article 5
Pay transparency in recruitment
Pay ranges shared before interview, no questions about salary history, and gender-neutral hiring.
Pay information up front
Candidates must be told the initial pay level or range for the role (set on objective, gender-neutral criteria) either in the job advertisement or before the interview, so they can negotiate from an informed position.
No questions about pay history
Employers may not ask applicants about their current or previous pay. Anchoring an offer to what someone earned before is exactly how historic pay gaps get carried into a new role.
Gender-neutral throughout
Vacancy notices and job titles must be gender-neutral, and the recruitment process run without discrimination. The pay criteria used for the role should be objective and consistently applied.
Frequently asked
Do we have to publish salary in job adverts?
Candidates must receive the initial pay level or range before the interview stage — in the advert or beforehand. Some national laws will require it directly in the advert.
Can we ask candidates their current salary?
No. Asking about current or past pay is prohibited under the directive.
What makes a job advert gender-neutral?
A gender-neutral title and wording, with pay criteria based on objective factors rather than assumptions tied to gender.
Based on Directive (EU) 2023/970, Art. 5, via EUR-Lex, and practitioner summaries. National rules on advert wording vary — confirm locally.