UK to require salary details in job adverts under new law

The UK government plans to make pay details compulsory in job adverts, with legislation to be brought forward "as soon as possible", according to the BBC. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged businesses to publish salaries now rather than wait for the law to come in.

Government rationale

The government says the change will help jobseekers, particularly those applying for their first job, and could help prevent pay discrimination. 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." He added: "That's why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay."

The proposals are part of efforts to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training. The government said publishing salary details upfront could "expose unjustified differences in pay, give workers greater confidence to challenge discrimination and prevent disagreements over pay escalating into disputes". Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Murray told the BBC "this is an important common sense reform" and said pay "shouldn't be a guessing game".

Industry and campaigner response

The TUC welcomed the move. General secretary Paul Nowak said: "Anyone who's searched for a job knows how frustrating it is to read 'competitive salary' instead of just saying how much they'll be paid." He added: "It's absolutely right that the Government clamp down on this disrespectful practice. Employers should be up front with potential recruits and clearly state how much a role will be paid." Nowak also said the government "should also require employers to list flexible working options in every posting".

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. Requiring employers to publish salaries in job adverts is a significant step towards making work fairer for women and tackling the gender pay gap."

The CIPD, an industry body for human resources managers, found that 41% of employers always included salary information in their job adverts, while around 27% never included salary information, according to a 2023 survey of 832 decision-makers with hiring responsibilities. CIPD chief executive Neil Carberry said giving salary details was "a good thing" in principle but "more complicated" in practice, adding that drafting job adverts is "best left to good employer practice rather than government regulation".

Context

The Cabinet Office launched a consultation into pay and reducing discrimination in the summer, and the government said there had been "overwhelming support" for greater transparency, with 94% of respondents backing the move. The Equality and Human Rights Commission said publishing salaries in job adverts would be a "positive step" and also said bosses should be required to respond to questionnaires about colleagues' pay.

Why it matters

The law would change how employers advertise roles in the UK, requiring salary information to be disclosed upfront. Supporters say it will help jobseekers and reduce pay discrimination, while some employer groups argue pay-setting is complex and regulation of adverts may not always be suitable. The government has said it will set out further details on what information will be required and how the legislation will be enforced "in due course".

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Sources

• ft.com: Subscribe to read
• bbc.com: Firms told to publish salaries in job adverts ahead of new law
• independent.co.uk: Burnham to force UK employers to include salaries in job adverts | The Independent
• mirror.co.uk: Bosses will be ordered to declare salaries on job adverts under new law - The Mirror

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.