UK government plans to require employers to state salaries in job adverts

Employers in the UK will have to state the salary in their job adverts. Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out the plan, and the government published an announcement on 5 November 2026.

What the change involves

The government says publishing pay in job adverts will become a legal requirement. The scheme is called "say what you pay". It is meant to be a minimum standard of pay openness, and employers who already do this are to be backed.

Burnham said that both a young person starting out and a parent supporting a family should know what a job pays before spending time applying.

The situation today

According to estimates citing the 2024 report by the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), fewer than half of employers (41%) always publish salary ranges. Only one in five (18%) always publish a specific salary.

Timing

The government says it will bring forward legislation as soon as possible. Details on scope, the information required, implementation and enforcement are to be set out later. It is therefore not yet known when the rules will take effect or what the penalties will be. In the meantime, the Prime Minister is calling on businesses to state pay in job adverts now, rather than wait for the law to change.

The idea was backed by Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society. In her view, salary secrecy puts women at a disadvantage because they negotiate in the dark and find it harder to challenge unequal pay. Workers' rights campaigners make a similar case, saying pay openness will help young people and women in particular.

Equal pay and work for young people

The government announcement also covers young people. Siemens Mobility is to provide 10,000 young people with work experience in engineering and technology. The Prime Minister is urging more businesses to back the government's target of 200,000 work experience opportunities.

According to Polish Express, the government launched a consultation in July on improving equal pay rules. Final plans for the reform have not been presented.

What this means for you

For now this is an announcement, not law in force. If the rules come into effect, people looking for work in the UK will be able to compare pay before sending an application. This would also apply to adverts in sectors where many Poles work. Until the law is passed, adverts may still leave out the salary.