The Government’s launched a consultation that could require employers to publish salary information in job adverts or to provide it in writing before interview if a role isn’t advertised publicly. It’s not law yet. The consultation closes on 27 October 2026, after which ministers will decide what to take forward, with detail still to be worked through (including whether a fixed salary, a band or a benchmark rate would be required).
Employers shouldn’t wait for this to become law. It’s already worth adopting as standard practice, for several reasons.
It respects candidates’ time. Job hunting’s hard enough without discovering, two interviews in, that the salary falls well short of expectations. Publishing pay upfront lets people decide whether to apply at all.
It reduces room for bias. When pay isn’t clear, it tends to get decided case by case, leaving more scope for it to be influenced by things it shouldn’t be, such as how confidently someone negotiates.
It builds trust from the first interaction. Vagueness around pay can read as evasiveness, even when unintended.
It widens the talent pool. Candidates who assume a role’s out of reach or hesitate to apply without knowing the pay are more likely to come forward when it’s clear upfront.
It saves time for everyone, reducing unsuitable applications and mismatched expectations.
Similar rules are already landing across the EU. Getting comfortable with salary transparency now is a better position than catching up once it becomes mandatory.