The UK government has announced plans to introduce a landmark new piece of labor legislation that will compel all employers across the nation to publish explicit salary ranges directly on all public job advertisements, eliminating the longstanding practice of hiding pay figures during the hiring process. The proposed rule, which forms a core part of the administration’s broader strategy to dismantle persistent systemic pay disparities, particularly the decades-long gender pay gap that sees women in the UK earn on average 15% less than their male counterparts for equivalent full-time work, will also ban employers from asking job candidates about their previous salary history, a widely criticized practice that perpetuates cycles of underpayment for marginalized workers. Government officials estimate the new policy could put an extra £1,700 per year into the pockets of hundreds of thousands of underpaid workers, while also boosting transparency across the entire UK labor market. The draft bill is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in the coming parliamentary session, following a 12-week public consultation that received overwhelming support from labor advocacy groups, trade unions, and a majority of workers surveyed, even as some small business associations have raised minor concerns about short-term administrative burdens. Supporters argue the measure will not only level the playing field for job seekers but also reduce costly pay discrimination lawsuits that many firms currently face, while building a more equitable, productive workforce for the UK’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
UK plans new law requiring employers to disclose salaries in job advertisements
