1) Strengthening equal pay for equal work or work of equal value

The directive requires EU Member States to ensure employers have pay structures that prevent direct or indirect pay discrimination on the basis of sex, and are based on objective, gender-neutral criteria. 

This means parity isnโ€™t just a social ideal โ€” itโ€™s anchored in EU lawโ€™s pay fairness principle.

2) New rights to salary information

Workers will have the right to ask employers for information on average pay levels, broken down by gender, for employees doing the same work or work of equal value โ€” as well as the criteria used to determine pay and career progression. 

In practical terms, employees can ask for data and firms must provide it โ€” this reduces secrecy and supports parity arguments in negotiation.

3) Transparency before and during employment

Employers must share pay ranges in job ads or before interviews, and they cannot ask candidates about past salary. 

This directly weakens the โ€œdonโ€™t compare salariesโ€ defense many managers still use โ€” because transparency is becoming a minimum standard.

4) Reporting & corrective action

Larger companies (initially >250 employees, later expanding) must report gender pay gaps and, if unexplained gaps exceed 5%, conduct joint pay assessments with employee representatives.  

If a gap canโ€™t be explained by objective, gender-neutral criteria, action is legally required.



5) Shifted burden of proof

In pay discrimination cases, it becomes the employerโ€™s responsibility to prove thereโ€™s no discrimination, not the employeeโ€™s job to prove it.ย 

This is huge because it literally empowers employees within legal frameworks.

Why this matters for salary negotiation in DK/EU:

Legitimises parity as a negotiation criterion. Use this to your advantage and start using Sally: https://lifeequality.dk/shop/

Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/970/oj/eng


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