Job seekers in Czechia to wait longer for mandatory pay transparency

Job seekers hoping for an end to "salary guessing games" during interviews will have to wait longer than expected. Despite a looming European Union deadline, the Czech Republic is unlikely to implement new pay transparency rules by the scheduled date of June 7.

The EU directive aims to eliminate the common frustration where candidates only discover a role’s remuneration during the final stages of a recruitment process. Under the upcoming rules, companies will be required to disclose pay scales early—effectively banning the "competitive salary" placeholder.

"We are proceeding with the proposal with maximum effort for minimalist transposition," said Martina Vašková, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, told Czech news outlet Novinky.cz.

The government aims to keep administrative and financial impacts on employers as low as possible, suggesting the Czech version of the law will stick to the absolute minimum requirements rather than "gold-plating" the legislation with stricter local rules.

Beyond job ads, the directive seeks to ban the common practice of employers asking candidates about their previous salary history. This move is designed to prevent low wages from following workers from one job to the next, a cycle that often disproportionately affects women and internationals.

The path in Prague remains stalled as the draft must still pass through a comment procedure, three readings in the Chamber of Deputies, and Senate approval.

The delay reflects a long-standing hesitation among Czech political parties and employer unions. While neighbors like Slovakia already mandate starting salaries in job postings, Czech officials are still debating whether the figures must appear directly in ads or can be disclosed later during early-stage negotiations.

For now, job seekers in the Czech market will continue to operate under the current system, where salary remains one of the last topics discussed behind closed doors.