“Competitive salary” may soon be a thing of the past. On 5 November 2026, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the government will make it a legal requirement for all employers to publish salaries in their job adverts – a new “say what you pay” law. And he isn’t waiting for the legislation: businesses are being urged to start showing pay in their adverts now.
Here’s what UK SME owners and managers need to know so far, what’s still to be decided, and how to get ready.
1. What has been announced
The government says jobseekers should know what a role pays before they spend time applying for it. The change is aimed particularly at young people looking for their first job, and at tackling pay inequalities that can hold women back – for example, when someone goes into a salary negotiation without knowing what the role is worth. It follows a consultation on equal pay that ran from July to 27 October 2026, and early analysis shows 94% of respondents backed the requirement, including 93% of businesses.
2. When will the new law come in?
There’s no start date yet. The government has said it will bring forward legislation “as soon as possible”, with details still to come on which jobs it will cover, exactly what information must be given and how it will be enforced. The consultation proposed that the rule would apply across England, Scotland and Wales, and that where a role isn’t advertised, candidates would be given the pay information in writing before interview.
3. Will employers need to show an exact salary or a range?
This is still to be settled. The consultation looked at exact figures, salary ranges and benchmark rates, and asked whether bonuses and other benefits should be shown alongside basic pay. Whatever the final wording, it’s safe to assume that a vague “competitive” or “DOE” won’t be enough – and that very wide ranges will look less and less credible to candidates.
4. How many UK employers already publish salaries?
Many businesses are some way off. CIPD research found that only 41% of employers always publish a salary range, and just 18% always publish a specific salary. Adzuna’s analysis of more than 10 million UK adverts found that the share showing pay had fallen to around 44% by May 2026, down from almost 65% in 2016. Meanwhile, around eight in ten workers say they avoid roles that don’t show a salary – so adverts without pay are already losing you applicants.
5. If you employ people in Europe too
The EU Pay Transparency Directive, which member states were due to bring into national law by 7 June 2026, already requires pay information to be given to applicants. If you recruit for roles in EU countries, you may need to meet those rules now, regardless of what happens in the UK.
How to get ready for salary transparency
Publishing pay is good practice anyway – it attracts more of the right applicants, saves time on candidates whose expectations don’t match, and builds trust from the start. A few practical steps to take now:
- Benchmark your roles against the market so the figure you publish is realistic and competitive.
- Agree a clear salary or a sensible, narrow range for every vacancy before it goes live, with the pay period stated (per year, per hour).
- Be clear about what’s basic pay and what’s bonus, commission or benefits – don’t present on-target earnings as guaranteed salary.
- Review your current team’s pay. Once new roles are advertised with a figure, existing staff will see it too, so any gaps or equal pay risks are better tackled now.
- Update your advert templates, recruitment policy and hiring managers’ guidance so salary information is included as standard.
Why SMEs should get HR support
Publishing pay can expose inconsistencies in how people are paid, and unexplained differences between employees doing similar work can lead to difficult conversations or even equal pay claims. Expert HR advice can help you review your pay structures, put fair and defensible salary bands in place and update your policies before the new law arrives.
The detail of the new law hasn’t been published yet, so things may change. For the latest official position, keep an eye on GOV.UK. This article is a general overview and isn’t legal advice.
Need help getting your pay and recruitment practices ready? Contact us to find out more.
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