The EU Pay Transparency Directive was to enter into force on June 7, and it requires employers to disclose pay ranges before hiring, report on gender pay gaps, and take corrective action when those gaps exceed 5 percent without justification. Workers will know what a role pays before they apply, and the burden of proof in discrimination cases shifts onto employers.
The figures behind the law remain stark. Eurostat data shows women's average gross hourly earnings across the EU stood 11.1 percent below men's in 2024, a gap that has barely budged in a decade.
