By Fatma Younis
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced Friday that employers will be legally required to publish salary details on all job advertisements, a move aimed at empowering jobseekers and promoting equal pay.
Measure targets pay secrecy
The government said the requirement will help young people and women in particular achieve fairer compensation by ending the practice of listing vague terms such as “competitive salary.” Burnham said applicants should know what a job pays before investing time and effort in applying.
Campaigners welcome change
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said the frustration of encountering undisclosed pay ranges is a common experience for job hunters. Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found fewer than half of employers always publish salary ranges, and less than a fifth always state specific salaries.
Part of broader ‘small fixes’ agenda
The policy is among a series of immediate measures Burnham has introduced since taking office, including removing VAT from electricity bills, reducing bus fares, and a £100 council tax rebate. The prime minister is also developing a 10‑year plan to overhaul what he calls “40 years of neoliberalism,” though that plan may be delayed until next year.
Details still to be finalised
Ministers have not yet decided exactly what pay information must be disclosed, which companies will be covered, or how enforcement will work. A consultation in July showed 93% of businesses responded positively, but final regulations are pending.
