New equal pay legislation, which will come into effect 7 June 2026, This represents a fundamental shift for employers from passive compliance with anti-discrimination rules to an active duty to demonstrate pay equity. As current legislation did not provide employees with sufficient tools to monitor their rights, the state is introducing a comprehensive transparency system that requires precise internal process settings, job categorisation according to their value, and regular reporting. For companies, this means the necessity of reviewing not only payroll slips but also overall personnel documentation and recruitment procedures in order to avoid the risk of high sanctions and shifted burden of proof.
The transition to new legislation presents a complex legal and administrative challenge for many companies. We provide our clients with:
- Remuneration legal audit Identification of high-risk 5 % discrepancies and the establishment of objective justifications for them.
- Documentation review Amendment of employment contracts, internal wage regulations and GDPR records.
- Methodology and reporting Assistance with categorising positions according to job value and report preparation for the ministry.
- Representation in disputes: Employer's defence in labour inspectorate inspections or claims for damages. .
The most important dates brought by the new employer remuneration law
- 31 July 2026: The obligation to have transparent salary structures in place.
- 7 June 2027: First message for companies with 150 and over employees.
- 7 June 2031 First message for companies with 100 – 149 employees.
Practical advice on the key change in remuneration – it's not wages, but reward that counts
Finally, another important piece of information that may be key for many. This time, the legislator has left nothing to chance and the difference in remuneration will not be derived from wages but from reward. Reward includes the basic component of wages, minimum wage, but also additional components that the employer provides at their discretion. This will prevent pretending that employees of the same category have the same gross wage and camouflaging differences through additional components. Penalties are high, which is precisely why a well-structured remuneration system is necessary. Do not forget that the system is uncompromising: reversed burden of proof, retrospective payment of the difference in remuneration, and penalties.
Checklist
| Work Categorisation | Do you have employees categorised by the value of their work, not just by job title? |
| Wage structure | Are your salary criteria (complexity, responsibility, etc.) processed in writing and gender-neutral? |
| Recruitment Audit | Do your advertisements include starting salary and are they gender-neutral? |
| Preparation HR: | Are HR professionals trained not to ask about previous salary? |
| Contract review | Have you removed invalid clauses regarding wage secrecy from the employment contracts? |
| Transparency | Do you have an internal process in place to respond to employees' written requests for salary details within 2 months? |
| Reporting | Do you know when exactly you submit the first report to the ministry based on the number of your employees? |