Employers could soon be legally required to include salary information in job adverts, following the Government's announcement of its new ‘Say What You Pay’ plans. But what does this mean for businesses, and how should employers prepare?

Pay transparency is set to become a much bigger part of the UK recruitment landscape, following the Government's announcement of plans to make salary disclosure a legal requirement for employers.

Announced on 5 November 2026, the proposed ‘Say What You Pay’ pay transparency laws aim to make job hunting fairer by ensuring candidates know what a position pays before investing time in an application process.

What Is the ‘Say What You Pay’ Pay Transparency Law?

The Government has announced plans to introduce legislation requiring employers to publish salary information within their job advertisements.

The aim is to address the lack of transparency surrounding pay, which can leave candidates applying for positions without knowing whether the salary meets their expectations.

The Government also believes greater transparency could help tackle pay inequalities by making unjustified differences in salaries easier to identify.

Although the legislation has not yet been introduced, the Prime Minister has encouraged businesses to start including salary information in job advertisements immediately.

What Does This Mean for Employers?

For businesses that currently advertise positions without salary information, this announcement should be a wake-up call.

Employers may need to reconsider how they approach recruitment, particularly when it comes to agreeing budgets and setting realistic salary expectations before a vacancy goes live.

Here are some of the key areas businesses should start reviewing.

1. Review Your Current Salary Structures

Employers should take this opportunity to review existing salaries across their workforce and ensure that pay is consistent, competitive and reflective of responsibilities, experience and market conditions.

If businesses are required to disclose salaries publicly, any significant differences between similar positions could attract greater scrutiny.

Having a clear understanding of how salaries are determined will become increasingly important.

2. Set Realistic Salary Ranges

One of the biggest considerations will be deciding what salary range to advertise.

Simply publishing an extremely broad salary range may not provide candidates with the transparency they are looking for.

For example, advertising a position with a salary of £30,000–£60,000 may attract applications from candidates with very different expectations, without giving a realistic indication of what the successful applicant could earn.

Employers should establish achievable salary ranges based on the actual requirements of the position, the experience needed and current market conditions.

3. Consider Bonuses, Commission and Additional Benefits

For positions offering commission, performance-related bonuses or additional financial incentives, employers should consider how these will be communicated alongside the basic salary.

This is particularly relevant for sales-based positions and specialist technical roles where overall earning potential can vary considerably.

Clear communication from the outset will help candidates understand what they can realistically expect to earn.

4. Review Your Recruitment Processes

Salary discussions should take place early in the recruitment process, rather than becoming a sticking point once interviews have started.

Employers should ensure hiring managers, HR teams and recruitment partners are working from the same agreed salary information.

This will help avoid misunderstandings, unnecessary interviews and situations where an otherwise suitable candidate withdraws because the salary does not meet their expectations.

A Warning to Employers: Don't Wait Until the Law Comes Into Effect

Although the Government has confirmed its intention to introduce the legislation, the finer details are yet to be established.

The Government has stated that further information will follow, including the scope of the requirements, the information employers will need to provide, implementation arrangements and enforcement.

However, that doesn't mean businesses should put off making changes. A "Competitive salary" is often seen as code for a salary that isn't in line with what it should be, and it puts candidates off, meaning fewer applications, which inevitably reduces the chances of finding strong talent. 

Our advice to employers is to start reviewing your salary structures and recruitment budgets now.

The Statistics Behind Salary Transparency

41% Of UK jobseekers would refuse to apply for a job without salary information.

CV-Library Candidate Behaviour Barometer 2026. Survey of 1,043 UK jobseekers.

66% Of candidates say salary is the single most important aspect of a job advert.

CV-Library, 2026.

42% Of UK job adverts did not include salary information over the previous 12 months.

CV-Library analysis of job market data, 2026.

The demand for greater salary transparency is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to ignore.

According to CV-Library's 2026 Candidate Behaviour Barometer, 41% of UK jobseekers would refuse to apply for a position if no salary information was provided. Furthermore, 66% of candidates consider salary the single most important aspect of a job advertisement.

Despite this, 42% of UK job adverts did not include salary information over the previous 12 months.

The research also found that 80% of recruiters identify a competitive salary as one of the top three priorities for candidates viewing a job advert.

These figures highlight a clear disconnect between what candidates expect and what employers currently provide.

For businesses looking to attract the best talent, salary transparency could therefore be about more than simply complying with future legislation. It could also play an important role in improving application rates, attracting suitable candidates and reducing unnecessary delays during recruitment.

How Could This Affect the Recruitment Industry?

For recruitment agencies, salary transparency could change how vacancies are briefed, advertised and managed.

At Bennett & Game, we work across a range of specialist technical sectors, including Construction, Architecture, HVAC, Renewable Energy, Power Generation, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Finance and Civil Engineering.

Across these industries, salaries can vary significantly depending on location, qualifications, experience, specialist knowledge and the responsibilities attached to a position.

This makes having accurate market knowledge particularly important.

We already encourage our clients to establish clear salary expectations before beginning a recruitment campaign. Understanding what a business is prepared to pay, and how this compares with the wider market, is essential to attracting the right candidates.

Going forward, this could become even more important.

Employers should also be aware that the precise requirements for recruitment agencies, temporary assignments and contract positions have not yet been fully clarified. These are areas where further guidance will be needed.

How Bennett & Game Can Help

Understanding the market rate for a particular position isn't always straightforward.

Businesses need to balance their recruitment budgets with current salary expectations, competitor activity and the experience required to successfully fill a vacancy.

This is where working with a specialist recruitment agency can make a difference.

At Bennett & Game, our consultants have an in-depth understanding of their respective industries and can help employers:

• Establish realistic and competitive salary expectations.
• Understand current market rates for specialist positions.
• Identify where salary budgets may be limiting their ability to attract suitable candidates.
• Review job specifications and candidate requirements.
• Attract and engage qualified candidates through targeted recruitment campaigns.

We believe greater salary transparency is a positive step towards creating a fairer and more efficient recruitment process. However, businesses need to ensure they are prepared for the changes ahead.

Our advice? Don't wait for the legislation to force a change. Start being transparent about pay now.

If you're planning to recruit in the coming months and want to understand current salary expectations within your industry, speak to the Bennett & Game team today.