The UK government plans to make salary disclosure a legal requirement in job adverts, with details on scope and enforcement still to be set.
The UK government has announced plans to make it a legal requirement for employers to publish salary information in job adverts. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the change on Thursday, November 5, 2026, under a policy called “Say What You Pay.”
The government said it will bring forward legislation as soon as possible. Details on which jobs the requirement will cover, what information must be given, and how it will be enforced are still to come. The announcement does not establish a compliance deadline.
Burnham said: “Whether you’re a young person starting out or a parent trying to support your family, you should know what a job pays before spending your time and effort applying for it. That’s why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay.”
Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities, said: “What a job pays is rightly at the forefront of people’s minds when looking for work – it shouldn’t be a guessing game.” She added: “Whether it’s a young person looking for their first job or a mum getting back into work, no-one should have to enter an already daunting process salary blind.”
Early analysis of the government’s equal pay consultation showed 94% of respondents backed the requirement, including 93% of businesses. A 2024 report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that 41% of employers always publish salary ranges and 18% always publish specific salaries.
Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: “For too long, salary secrecy has put women at a disadvantage, leaving them negotiating in the dark and making it much harder to challenge unfair and unequal pay.”
The government said the change is aimed particularly at young people applying for their first job and would also help address pay inequalities that can disadvantage women. Until the law changes, Burnham is calling on businesses to start publishing salaries in their job adverts now.
The policy would change recruitment advertising across England, Scotland and Wales. Employers will need to wait for regulations to determine how the rules apply to particular vacancies, agency arrangements or self-employed engagements.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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