There was to be equality and transparency of remuneration from June. But it won’t
Poland has until June 7, 2026 to implement the European Union directive on equal and transparent pay. He will probably not fulfill this obligation.
What is this EU directive about? In short: for fair wages for the same work or work of equal value for women and men and for the fight against the pay gap.
Transparency creates transparent remuneration rules, which increases the sense of justice in the workplace, but knowledge of pay ranges in similar positions allows employees to negotiate remuneration more effectively. So if you don’t know what it’s about, you know what it’s about.
Companies need a long time to achieve equal pay
The relevant draft law appeared on the website of the Government Legislation Center in December 2025. It introduces the obligation to evaluate work and pay transparency, giving employees the right to request information about the reasons for pay differences and obliging employers to explain why someone earns more or less. It also lifts the ban on disclosing salaries and discussing salaries between employees.
Liwiusz Laska, director general at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, announced in “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” that the regulations will not be implemented until June 7. The reason is the lack of provisions establishing the “equality body” required by the directive. At the same time, the Director General explained that regulations transferring this type of competence to the National Labor Inspectorate are ready. In his opinion, the more time companies will have to adapt to the new requirements, the better.
Poles will wait for equality and transparency of salaries
Everything indicates that the delay will last half a year and the regulations will enter into force from January 2027. Employers are also demanding time. The Business Center Club assessed the June 2026 deadline as unrealistic. The Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs proposed an even longer deadline – until the end of December 2027. The reason is the scale and time-consuming nature of work evaluation in large organizations.
Work resort plans amendments to the bill. Extension of the time for providing explanations in response to applications regarding the wage gap is being considered – from 14 to 30 days, as well as clarification of the definition regarding “salary band”. He also considers it necessary changing the layout of some provisions and their order to make them more clear.
