Britain Moves to Force Salary Disclosure in Job Ads — and Burnham Isn't Waiting for the Law

UK employers are being urged to publish pay details now, months before a legal duty arrives. The push follows a consultation in which 94% of respondents backed mandatory salary transparency.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants companies to stop sitting on their pay ranges. His government is preparing legislation that would oblige employers to state salaries directly in job advertisements, and he has asked firms to start doing so voluntarily straight away rather than waiting for the rules to take effect. For jobseekers, the argument runs, the wage should be clear before they invest hours in an application.

The measure is aimed squarely at lifting transparency across the labour market and curbing gender-based pay discrimination. Chancellor John Healey tied the plan to the previous Autumn Budget, where calls for compulsory pay transparency were first signalled.

Consultation Shows Near-Unanimous Support

Backing for the idea is striking. A broad consultation found 94% of participants in favour of making disclosure mandatory, and among the businesses surveyed, 93% supported the step.

Yet practice lags far behind sentiment. Government research shows only 18% of companies consistently publish a specific salary, while a further 41% at least give a pay range.

Citing estimates from the CIPD, the personnel professional body, the Prime Minister's office said slightly more than two in five employers always state a range, and fewer than one in five name a fixed figure. Data from the platform Adzuna pointed to 51% of job adverts carrying pay information in September — a share that is slipping. Vacancies stood at 691,000 between July and September 2026, down 21,000 on the previous period.

Entry-Level Workers and Returners Set to Benefit

Ministers frame the change as a route into work for people starting their careers and for those returning after a break. Bridget Phillipson, the minister championing the plan, described transparent pay as an important tool for closing the gender wage gap and preventing women from being disadvantaged.

Employee representatives and civil society groups have lined up behind it. Paul Nowak of the TUC, the union confederation, and Penny East of the Fawcett Society both spoke in favour of the proposed duty.

Bill Coming, But the Fine Print Is Missing

A draft bill is due to be introduced to Parliament shortly, though no fixed date for it taking effect has been given; the intention is to implement it as soon as possible. Still unresolved are the precise scope, the information employers would have to supply, and any sanctions for non-compliance.

More clarity is expected from an investigation led by Alan Milburn, due to report later this month.

Early signals from practitioners are mixed. The CIPD has observed that the public sector and charities tend to be more open than private firms — sometimes publishing ranges spanning more than £10,000. Its chief executive, Neil Carberry, cautioned that setting pay is complex and that rigid regulation will not fit every situation.

Cross-Border Wrinkle for Multinationals

Employers operating internationally face an added layer of difficulty. Amy Bird, a partner at the law firm Clifford Chance, noted that the European Union's pay transparency directive does not apply directly in the UK but does affect British groups with staff in the EU. Implementation across Europe is currently uneven, with several member states missing deadlines or running late.