Pay transparency: a checklist of requirements to prepare for the 2026 EU Directive

Pay transparency: are you ready for the directive?

The European Directive on Pay Transparency (2023/970/EU) is a piece of legislation adopted by the European Union in May 2023, which imposes new obligations on employers relating to recruitment, internal communication, reporting and pay equality. This directive applies to all businesses in the EU, with obligations phased in according to the size of the workforce.

This checklist summarises the key points, obligations and penalties for non-compliance, to help you prepare for the directive.

Arago supports HR departments in ensuring compliance and rolling out HRIS tools to meet these requirements.

Discover our free checklist so you don't miss a thing.

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Check list transparence salariale arago 2

In this checklist:

Recruitment obligations: what you must disclose regarding remuneration in your job advertisements and during interviews (salary range, applicable pay scale, prohibition on asking for the candidate’s salary history).
Obligations relating to internal transparency and communication with employees: employees’ right to know the pay levels of colleagues performing work of equal value; objective pay criteria must be documented and shared.
Obligations regarding pay gap reporting: indicators to be calculated and reported (median pay gap, quartiles, proportion of women and men by category), frequency based on workforce size, mandatory publication.
The list of penalties incurred in the event of non-compliance: financial penalties, reversal of the burden of proof in wage disputes, employees’ rights to compensation...

Go further with Arago

Arago helps you design and implement a comprehensive pay transparency strategy, linking:

the law
the data
the reality on the ground

Our experts will help you define policies, clarify messages and equip managers and recruiters with the tools they need.

A pragmatic approach that is easy to understand, explain and put into practice.

Contact our teams to prepare for the directive now.