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Firms told to publish salaries in job adverts ahead of new law
The prime minister is urging businesses to include salary details in job adverts now, ahead of planned legislation that would make this compulsory. The government says transparency could help jobseekers decide where to apply and make unjustified pay differences easier to challenge.
A government consultation found 94% of respondents supported greater pay transparency. Adzuna data showed 51% of job adverts on its site included salary information in September, though that share has fallen in recent years. The human resources body CIPD supports disclosure in principle but says pay can depend on a candidate’s experience and potential; the government has yet to set out enforcement details.
In short
- Firms are being urged to publish salaries before a new law requires it.
- 94% of consultation respondents backed greater pay transparency.
- Employers say pay can vary with applicants’ skills and experience.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Publishing salary ranges helps applicants judge whether a role is worth pursuing and reduces wasted time in the recruitment process. Greater openness could also make unexplained pay gaps easier to identify and challenge, promoting fairness and trust in employers.
The case against
A salary figure in an advert may not reflect the range an employer could offer, since pay can depend on a candidate’s experience, skills and potential. Requiring disclosure before enforcement and practical details are clear could encourage misleadingly broad ranges or make employers more cautious about advertising roles.
Explained simply
Pay transparency means showing the expected salary or pay range when a job is advertised. In the UK, employers do not generally have to include this information in job adverts, so applicants may need to ask about pay later in the process.
The government plans to require salary details in adverts through new legislation, while encouraging employers to publish them ahead of time. It says this could help people compare roles and make unfair differences in pay easier to question.
Employers and jobseekers may weigh the benefits differently: applicants can use salary details when deciding where to apply, while employers may set pay according to a candidate’s experience and potential. The government has not yet explained how the proposed requirement would be enforced.