UK consults on pay transparency, including publishing pay in job adverts

The UK government is consulting on a substantial overhaul of equal pay and pay discrimination law, in two phases. Phase one covers pay transparency and enforcement, including a requirement to publish pay information in job adverts and the reinstatement of statutory pay questionnaires. Phase two would extend pay discrimination protection to race and disability, and impose obligations on outsourcing supply chains. The consultation closes on 27 October 2026. No implementation timetable has been given.

Why this matters. Salary-free job adverts cost applicants time, and they cost remote applicants more than most, because a role advertised without a figure may be priced for a city you do not live in. Publishing pay up front tells you whether a role is worth applying for before you spend an evening on the application, and it makes cross-border comparison possible in a way that “competitive salary” never has.

The UK would be moving in the same direction as the EU pay transparency directive, which member states are implementing now — the Netherlands is targeting January 2027. For anyone applying across both markets, the practical effect over the next two years is that pay ranges start appearing as standard rather than as an employer’s choice.

What to watch. The consultation closes 27 October 2026 and is open to responses, which is worth knowing for anyone with a view on how job adverts should be priced.