Salary transparency does not mean that anyone can freely browse their colleague’s salary

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 09. 25. 11:07

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The EU Pay Transparency Directive will enter into force next summer: although the domestic transposition legislation is still pending, it is important to know that the principle of “equal pay for work of equal value” is already part of Hungarian law. However, from June 7, 2026, much more specific regulations will come into effect: salaries must be disclosed before the interview, salary levels must be supported by objective criteria, and companies must regularly report gender pay gaps. However, there are still many question marks surrounding the regulation: who exactly does it apply to, how can salary data be accessed, and what does the prohibition of wage secrecy cover? The most common misunderstandings in this regard are addressed by an expert from Humán Centrum Munkaerő-kölköksönző és trövöltőtő Kft..

Light is shed on wages, but what does this mean in practice?

One of the most important provisions of the wage transparency directive is that it will be mandatory to indicate the salary offered in job advertisements – or at the latest before the first interview – either in a specific amount or in the form of a salary range.

“The point is not how narrow or wide the range is, but that there are clear, objective considerations behind it – for example, working hours, expertise or level of responsibility. Thus, it may be entirely justified for a a skilled machine operator working the night shift is in a higher wage bracket than a trained daytime employee. The regulation therefore does not aim to completely equalize all wages, but to ensure that the wages of those performing work of equal value are transparent, comparable and justifiable”

– emphasizes Dénes Rajmund, CEO of Humán Centrum Kft..

In addition, employers are not allowed to ask about applicants’ previous salaries. This practice is one of the main reasons why women typically start with a lower wage worldwide – and the new regulation aims to eliminate this chain reaction, contributing to reducing the gender wage gap.