From December 24, 2025, the first part of the regulations implementing the EU directive on pay transparency will come into force in Poland. Employers will have to disclose rates in recruitment processes and, in subsequent stages, report pay differences between women and men.
The Pracuj.pl study shows that 29 percent Poles plan to change their job in 2026, and 62 percent candidates want to know the salary amount already at the job advertisement stage. According to the new regulations, which come into force on Christmas Eve, every employer – regardless of the size of the company – will be obliged to provide the candidate with information about the minimum wage or salary range.. This data must be disclosed no later than before the job interview or signing the employment contract. Employers will also have to ensure gender-neutral language in advertisements and job titles.
You shouldn't ask a candidate how much he or she earned before?
At the same time there will be a ban on asking candidates about their current remunerationwhich is intended to prevent wage differences from perpetuating in subsequent jobs.
– This will be the moment when companies will have to map the entire recruitment process – from the content of advertisements to interview scenarios and clearly define the pay architecture. Just publishing the forks is not enough. Consistent role valuation criteria are needed so that the ranges are sensibly embedded in the remuneration structure and promotion paths, says Michał Młynarczyk, president of the Devire recruitment agency.
End of “pay secrecy” clauses
The new regulations also strengthen the rights of current employees. From December 24, employees will also be able to obtain information about their remuneration and average rates and salary ranges in the company, broken down by gender and comparable positions.. Employers will no longer be able to use clauses prohibiting employees from talking about earnings.
The pay gap under the microscope
From 2026, there will be even more obligations related to pay transparency. Companies employing at least 100 employees will be obliged to report pay differences between women and men.
If it exceeds 5% and the employer is unable to justify it with objective criteria, he will be obliged to implement a recovery plan.
Don't believe that companies will be honest?
According to the Pracuj.pl study, 42 percent respondents are afraid that companies will try to circumvent the new regulations, and 30 percent believes that the lack of an obligation to publish rates in the announcement itself will limit their effectiveness.
Pay transparency is particularly important for women – 57 percent. of them believe that providing salary ranges is an expression of respect for their time, while they only have such an opinion 47 percent men. Every second representative of the fair sex also sees this as a way to reduce pay inequalities.
– For candidates, transparency of remuneration is not only a matter of numbers, but also of clear rules. Offers with given ranges are often perceived as more transparent and fair, and employers who focus on this communication model become more credible in the eyes of candidates, says Agata Roszkiewicz, Senior HR Manager at Grupa Pracuj.
Transparency can give you an advantage
Although many changes come into force as early as December 2025, the final date for full implementation of the directive is June 7, 2026. By then, Member States, including Poland, must introduce all necessary provisions. Experts emphasize that companies that approach them proactively can gain a real competitive advantage.
– Publishing salaries in advertisements goes beyond the statutory minimum and shows candidates that their time and needs are taken seriously – sums up Ewelina Janiszewska, an expert in Remuneration and HR Analysis at Grupa Pracuj.
