UK Government Plans New Law Requiring Employers To Include Salaries In Job Advertisements
Employers across the UK are set to face new legal requirements to disclose salary information in job advertisements under plans announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The proposed legislation, announced on 5 November 2026, is intended to ensure that people looking for work understand how much a position pays before submitting an application. The Government says the change will address a common problem in recruitment, where candidates spend considerable time preparing applications and attending interviews without knowing the potential salary. Under the proposed approach, employers would be required to make pay information available from the beginning of the recruitment process, giving applicants greater clarity about available opportunities.
The Government plans to introduce a requirement for job advertisements to state the salary or relevant pay information associated with each vacancy. The initiative has been described as a 'say what you pay' policy, reflecting the principle that employers should be transparent about compensation when advertising positions. Ministers believe the change will establish a consistent standard across recruitment practices and encourage businesses to provide information that candidates need before deciding whether to apply. The legislation is expected to be brought forward as soon as possible, although its detailed requirements have not yet been finalised.
The need for greater transparency is highlighted by figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Its research found that only 41 per cent of employers always publish salary ranges in their recruitment advertisements, while just 18 per cent consistently provide specific salary figures. This means many applicants still encounter vacancies where the financial details are unclear or unavailable. The Government believes making salary disclosure compulsory will address this information gap and encourage employers to adopt more open recruitment practices, regardless of the industry or type of position being advertised.
Support for the proposed change has also emerged from the Government's consultation on pay transparency. Early analysis found that 94 per cent of respondents supported requiring employers to disclose salary information, including 93 per cent of participating businesses. The figures suggest that the proposal has attracted considerable support from both workers and organisations. The Government has used the consultation findings to support its decision to move towards legislation, although further work will be needed to establish exactly how the requirements will operate and what information employers must provide when advertising vacancies.
Young people entering the employment market are expected to be among those who could benefit from the changes. Applying for a first job can involve considerable uncertainty, particularly for candidates with limited experience of recruitment and salary negotiations. Without clear information about pay, applicants may spend time pursuing opportunities that do not meet their financial expectations. The Government believes that displaying salaries from the beginning will help young people identify suitable vacancies, make informed decisions and concentrate their efforts on positions that match their qualifications and circumstances.
The proposed legislation is also intended to address inequalities in the workplace, particularly those affecting women. Ministers argue that when salary information is withheld, applicants can be placed at a disadvantage during negotiations because they have little understanding of the expected pay level. Women may be particularly affected by this situation, as negotiating without access to comparable salary information can make it more difficult to challenge unfair offers. Requiring employers to disclose pay details could provide candidates with a clearer basis for assessing offers and identifying potential differences in compensation for comparable roles.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said people should know what a job pays before investing time and effort in applying. He confirmed that the Government intends to make salary disclosure a legal requirement for employers. His announcement also formed part of a wider programme aimed at helping more young people enter employment and gain access to professional opportunities. The Prime Minister urged businesses not to wait for the legislation to become law before adopting more transparent recruitment practices, encouraging employers to start including salary details in their advertisements immediately.
Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities, also welcomed the proposed requirement, highlighting the importance of providing applicants with clear information about potential earnings. She said salary transparency would help young people make informed choices, contribute towards closing the gender pay gap and remove an unnecessary obstacle from the recruitment process. The minister also highlighted the difficulties faced by people returning to employment after time away from work. Knowing the salary before applying, she argued, would make it easier for candidates to assess whether a vacancy meets their financial needs.
The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for women's rights and equality, has also supported the announcement. Its chief executive, Penny East, said salary secrecy had historically placed women at a disadvantage by making it harder to negotiate fairly and challenge unequal pay. The organisation considers mandatory salary disclosure an important step towards improving workplace fairness. Greater transparency could also make it easier for employees to question unexplained differences in earnings and encourage businesses to review their pay structures before recruiting new staff.
However, several important details about the proposed legislation remain unresolved. The Government has not yet confirmed exactly what salary information employers will need to provide, whether advertisements must show a fixed figure or a salary range, or how the requirements will be enforced. Further details covering the scope of the legislation, the information required from businesses and the implementation arrangements are expected to be established through the legislative process. These decisions will be important in determining how the new rules affect employers of different sizes and sectors.
The policy follows a wider Government consultation on equal pay and workplace discrimination, which considered several possible reforms to strengthen existing protections. These included improving access to pay information during recruitment, strengthening action against employers responsible for pay discrimination and introducing further procedures to help resolve disputes. The Government has indicated that its immediate priority is improving transparency, while other proposed changes will require further consideration. The latest announcement therefore represents an initial step in a broader programme aimed at improving fairness in employment and making it easier to identify discriminatory pay practices.
The issue is particularly relevant to businesses that rely on online recruitment platforms and external recruitment agencies to advertise vacancies. Employers may need to review their existing recruitment procedures, update job descriptions and ensure that salary information is approved before advertisements are published. Recruitment teams could also need clearer internal guidance to ensure that advertised pay information accurately reflects the compensation available for each position. While the Government intends to keep the administrative burden proportionate, businesses will need to monitor the final legislation and prepare for any new legal obligations once the rules are confirmed.
The Government has encouraged employers to adopt the proposed approach voluntarily rather than waiting for Parliament to approve the legislation. Businesses are being urged to include salary information in current vacancies, helping candidates understand the financial terms before beginning the application process. This early adoption could also give employers an opportunity to review their recruitment practices ahead of the formal introduction of the rules. For jobseekers, the change could gradually make vacancy advertisements more informative and reduce the uncertainty associated with applying for positions that provide little or no information about expected earnings.
The legislation is expected to be introduced as soon as possible, but no confirmed implementation date has yet been announced. The Government will need to establish the precise requirements and enforcement arrangements before employers can be expected to comply with the new rules. Until then, salary disclosure remains a voluntary practice for most UK employers. If approved and implemented, the proposed legislation would represent a significant change to recruitment advertising, placing greater responsibility on businesses to be open about pay and giving candidates more information when considering their next career move.
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