Your Pay, Their Pay... Should the Secrecy End of not Knowing What Your Work Colleagues are Making?

Understanding the Pay Transparency Debate

The Government wants employers to publish salaries in job adverts. But should you also have the right to know what the person working next to you earns? And how far should pay transparency go?

In November 2026 the Government announced that it intends to bring in legislation requiring employers to state the salary when they advertise a job. The British Prime Minister has also urged businesses to start doing this now rather than wait for the law to change.

Most of us will recognise the problem. You spend hours on an application, you go through interviews and assessments, and only at the end do you find out what the job actually pays. Why should anyone have to work that hard without knowing what they might earn?

The support for change is clear. The British Government’s consultation found that 94% of respondents backed greater pay transparency, including 93% of businesses.

The legislation has not yet been passed, however, and the British Government has not said when it will come into force or exactly what employers will have to disclose.

What About Your Colleagues’ Pay?