EU to Require Employers to Disclose Salary Ranges and Ban Questions About Previous Pay in Job Interviews

Under new European Union rules, employers will be required to disclose the salary range for a position during the recruitment process and will no longer be allowed to ask candidates about their previous earnings.

In job interviews, candidates have traditionally been asked how much they earned in their previous roles, with this information often forming the basis for salary negotiations. Critics have long argued that this practice creates an imbalance of power between employers and applicants from the outset. By revealing their past salary, candidates may unintentionally limit their own negotiating position.

With the new rules, salary negotiations will be based on the value of the position itself rather than an applicant’s pay history.

The change is intended to strengthen candidates’ position during interviews. The most significant shift is that employers will be legally obliged to disclose the salary range for a role either from the beginning of the process or at the latest during the first interview.

Applicants who are informed about the salary range in advance will be able to enter interviews with a clear understanding of what is possible. If asked about their previous salary despite the ban, candidates will not be required to provide any figures and may refuse to answer by referring to the new regulations.

The new system is expected to increase transparency around pay structures in job postings. In the long term, it aims to reduce wage inequalities and create a fairer foundation for recruitment processes across the EU.

The new EU hiring rules will come into force on 7 June 2026.

Source: ARTI49