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10 min czytania 3 February 2026

Pay transparency – what are the rules?

Pay transparency in 2026 is no longer a choice, but a requirement. The amendment to the Labor Code, implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, has forever changed the rules of the game – from mandatory salary brackets to a ban on asking about earnings from previous employers. This is a revolution that aims to eliminate the pay gap and build a market based on equality. What exactly do the regulations on pay transparency look like?

Pay transparency

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is pay transparency?

Pay transparency has been one of the hottest topics in recent months. Since January 2026, pay transparency has been in force in Poland under new, strict rules. This is all due to the implementation of an EU directive, which was introduced into the national legal system by a highly publicized amendment to the Labor Code. The goal of these changes is not only greater pay transparency, but above all, real pay equality and the elimination of the pay gap.

The Directive on Pay Transparency and Equal Pay in Poland – Since When?

Many people wonder: since when has pay transparency been a legal standard? Although changes have been discussed for a long time, the breakthrough came in January 2026. That’s when the amendment to the Labor Code fully integrated EU guidelines into the Polish legal system, putting an end to speculation about wages. The introduction of pay transparency is a phased process aimed at completely eliminating phenomena such as pay discrimination and unjustified pay inequalities.

The most important date in the HR calendar was December 24, 2025, when key provisions regarding transparency came into force. From that moment on, employer pay transparency ceased to be a matter of goodwill and became a requirement. Another important deadline is June 2026 – by then, all provisions of the Labor Code must fully support the principles of equal pay for women and men.

Under the new rules imposed by labor law, companies must comply with the following rules and deadlines:

  • From January 2026: Employers are required to provide information about the starting salary level or range to each candidate. While salary ranges do not have to appear in the job posting itself, they must be made available before the contract is signed.
  • During 2026: Companies are required to implement systems enabling efficient salary reporting and to provide employee salary data upon request (in terms of average earnings for similar positions).
  • By June 2026: This is the deadline for fully adapting HR systems to EU requirements. By this time, tools ensuring that employee pay discrimination is detected and eliminated through regular internal pay audits must be fully implemented.

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Pay transparency

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Pay Disclosure Obligation – Who Does It Apply to?

Since the beginning of 2026, pay disclosure has been mandatory for almost every employer in Poland. It doesn’t matter whether you work in a small family business, a large corporation, or a government office – the new regulations apply to everyone equally. The idea is for every company, regardless of industry, to play its cards openly and not hide wages from employees.

Salary Transparency in Practice – New Labor Code Provisions

The new Labor Code provisions introduce many important requirements:

Access to Information Before Recruitment

Although the initial drafts were controversial, the final transparency regulations are clear: employers are required to disclose the salary (starting rate or range) to each candidate no later than before signing the contract.

Prohibition of Asking About Salary

The Labor Code’s ban on asking about salaries from previous employers is revolutionary. It is intended to ensure that an employee’s salary depends solely on their competencies and job evaluation, not on whether they have experienced pay discrimination in the past.

The Right to Information on Average Earnings

Under the Act, employees now have the right to obtain information on the salaries of individuals performing the same work. Employers must provide data on average salaries in a given group, which allows for verification of compliance with equality principles. It is important to note that the disclosure of individual salaries (by name and surname) remains protected, but transparency at the group level is guaranteed.

Mandatory Reporting and Combating the Pay Gap

Reporting salaries has become increasingly important for companies. Companies (depending on size) are required to submit salary reports that analyze the pay gap. If the pay transparency report reveals that the pay gap between women and men exceeds 5% without objective justification, an immediate salary audit and the implementation of corrective measures are necessary.

Employer Pay Transparency and Pay Policy

Every company must now have clear criteria for determining pay levels and promotions. Pay policies must be gender-neutral, and all decisions regarding pay must be based on merit. This makes pay discrimination easier for regulatory bodies to address.

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Pay transparency

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Benefits of Pay Transparency for Employees

The introduction of pay transparency will bring many benefits to employees:

Salary Transparency

The biggest change is that pay transparency allows you to easily check whether you’re earning what you should. With pay ranges becoming the norm, you can compare your salary with what other companies are offering. Pay transparency also means you have the right to ask about the average salary in your team. This gives you peace of mind that you’re being paid fairly and makes it easier to talk to your boss if you notice discrepancies.

Ending Inequality and Discrimination

Introducing pay transparency is the most effective way to combat the gender pay gap. Because companies are required to report salaries, any significant pay gap becomes public and must be addressed. Furthermore, the ban on asking about your previous employer’s salary protects you from being offered less by a new company simply because you earned less before.

Ending Inequality and Discrimination

Introducing pay transparency is the most effective way to combat the gender pay gap. Because companies are required to report salaries, any significant pay gap becomes public and must be addressed. Furthermore, the ban on asking about your previous employer’s salary protects you from being offered less by a new company simply because you earned less before.

A Clear Pay Table

There can be no room for guesswork in a company. Your remuneration policy must be based on concrete facts. Divide positions into groups and assign them clear remuneration levels. This will help you avoid accusations of pay inequality within the team.

Check if you’re paying equally

The key to success is a salary audit. You need to look at the tables and verify whether men and women in the same position earn the same. If you discover a pay gap greater than 5%, you must close it quickly, as this is required by labor law.

HR Training

HR professionals must know how to respond when an employee asks about the average salary in their department. Pay transparency means that such information must be provided efficiently and truthfully. Furthermore, larger companies that practice pay transparency must prepare for regular salary reporting to government agencies.

Penalties for Lack of Pay Disclosure

Employers may be fined for violating regulations, such as the requirement to disclose salaries during the recruitment process or failure to properly report them. According to current guidelines, penalties for offenses against employee rights can reach up to PLN 30,000. If pay discrimination is repeated and flagrant, fines can be imposed repeatedly during each subsequent inspection.

This is one of the most serious changes introduced by the amendment to the Labor Code. If an employee proves that a pay gap or gender-based pay discrimination exists within the company, they have the right to demand full compensation.

Full compensation: An employee can demand reimbursement of the difference in pay, along with interest, for the entire period during which they earned less than their counterparts.

No upper limit: The law does not specify a maximum compensation amount – it depends solely on the extent of the pay gap.

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