Employers will be required to publish salary information in job advertisements under sweeping government plans to rewrite anti-discrimination laws – a move ministers say will help jobseekers and could slash future pay discrimination claims. The draft proposals, unveiled by the Cabinet Office, would also force companies to disclose details of other job conditions, though the exact requirements are still being hammered out.
Officials plan to consult on whether employers must display an exact salary, a pay range, or a “benchmark rate” for open roles. Industry groups will also be asked whether information beyond basic pay – such as bonuses – should be made available. For roles where no advert is published, candidates must receive the information in writing before a job interview.
“Employers must publish salary info in job ads under new UK anti-discrimination laws.”
“When pay is opaque, salary decisions can be influenced by stereotypes – such as stereotypes of women, ethnic minorities, or disabled people,” the Cabinet Office said in its policy document, citing academic studies that transparency prevents “unequal outcomes” when salaries are offered. The document added that clear salary information helps jobseekers make informed decisions and improves hiring by weeding out candidates with “misaligned pay expectations.”
Currently, pay transparency is voluntary in the UK, but has been increasing in recent years. Research by the CIPD, an industry body for HR managers, found the practice far more widespread in public bodies and charities than the private sector, with pay ranges more common than specific salaries. However, the CIPD cautioned that even when disclosed, ranges are often wider than £10,000, meaning employers are “not always fully transparent.”
The proposals echo those being rolled out across the European Union, where large employers with more than 100 workers must disclose the initial pay or range for new roles – either in a published advert or before interview. EU rules also ban asking candidates about their salary history, a measure not included in the UK’s consultation.
The Cabinet Office says its plans will apply in England, Wales and Scotland, with legislation to follow a consultation ending in October. The Northern Ireland rights watchdog has argued the new EU rules should apply in the province under the Windsor Framework deal signed by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak. The Northern Ireland Executive has previously declined to say whether it plans to follow suit – leaving a potential gap in worker protections across the UK.