Sand for years, talking about salary in companies, during the interviews and even between colleagues, it was a taboofrom June 7th, finally, it will no longer be like this. Or rather it can no longer be like this: in fact, the decree it introduces comes into force new rules on salary transparencywith the aim of making remuneration criteria fairer and clearer. The law, just published in the Official Journal, It aims above all to combat the gender pay gapthose salary differences that still penalize female workers even when they carry out the same tasks and have similar skills to those of their male colleagues.
Salary transparency, finally
Despite the good news, we will have to wait a little longer before rejoicing: the transition to this new modelIndeed, it is not expected to be immediateas many businesses are significantly behind schedule. A clear picture of this situation was taken by a broad in-depth investigation conducted byTalents Venture Observatorya company specialized in the study of employment dynamics, which looked at nearly 50,000 job ads posted on LinkedIn during 2025tracking the behavior of more than 250 large national companies.
An unprepared job market
The results show a scenario of widespread opacity, in which Eighty-five percent of job postings do not mention salary at allwhich the law makes mandatory. To this percentage is added a further eight percent of ads that are limited to vague and generic formulaslike the classic wording on compensation commensurate with experience. In total, ninety-three percent of the adverts analyzed still completely ignores the principle of transparency.
The decree imposing salary transparency comes into force on June 7th. (Getty Images)
The strong resistance and the most resigned
Traditional practices vary greatly depending on the industrial sector: for example, strong resistance emerges in the world of fashion and luxurywhere the highest level of confidentiality is recorded, with ninety-eight percent of the ads totally devoid of economic details. A a similar situation is found in the automotive sector And In thethe field of information technologies and consultancy. There are, however, sectors that show greater openness, such as large-scale retail tradewhere nearly thirty-seven percent of ads contain clear salary information.
Goodbye to the salary taboo in selections
From June 7, however, the rules will change. Each announcement or notice must indicate the expected salary or salary range of the positionmaking the economic value of the offer immediately transparent. Furthermore, it will be forbidden to ask candidates for information on the last salary receivedincluding through intermediaries or agencies. A change that aims to make access to work more fair and transparent.
The new right to know the company average
The news doesn’t just concern new hires. All workers, in the public and private sectors, they will have the right to ask for information on the average salary levels of their companydivided by gender and referring to those who carry out the same tasks or equivalent work. The company will have to respond within two months and the request can be submitted once a year. Furthermore, employers will be required to periodically inform staff of the existence of this right.
The end of contractual confidentiality agreements
Another element of strong break with the past concerns the nullity of any pay confidentiality agreement. Clauses that prevent employees from freely discussing their salary with colleagues or external parties can no longer be included in the employment contract. The reform, however, must be underlined, carefully protects individual privacy. In fact, it will not be possible to view the paper payslip of an office colleague. Average salary data will be provided in aggregate form onlyguaranteeing full respect for privacy.
Calendar and deadlines for companies
The new rules on salary transparency will be introduced graduallywith different obligations depending on the size of the company. The largest companies, those with over 250 employees, they must submit the first report by 7 June 2027. The same deadline applies to companies with 150-249 employees, who however will have to update the data every three years instead of every year. For companies with 100-149 employees, however, the obligation will come into effect from 7 June 2031.
What happens if a wage gap emerges
The most important news concerns the cases in which the data shows a significant difference in pay between men and women who do the same job. If the gap reaches or exceeds 5%, the company will have to demonstrate that the difference depends on objective reasonssuch as experience, responsibilities or specific skills. Otherwise, it will be obliged to start a discussion with workers’ representatives to identify solutions and reduce disparities.
What will change for workers
The new legislation will clearly not bring automatic increases to the pay slip. But this is not the goal. The goal is to make salaries, bonuses and career paths more transparent, facilitating the identification of any discrimination. From 7 June 2026, finally, the salary stops being a consolation prize to be quantified in the dark and becomes the objective value of a skill. In short, transparency finally becomes a right.