Pay transparency in Italy

National law

Decreto legislativo 7 maggio 2026, n. 96 (attuazione della direttiva (UE) 2023/970 sulla trasparenza retributiva) (Legislative Decree No. 96 of 7 May 2026 implementing Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency)

In force since

07/06/2026

Job ads

Pay range in the job ad. Art. 5(1): candidates must be given the initial pay or its range (based on objective, gender-neutral criteria) plus the relevant collective-agreement provisions, and this information must be provided in the notices and calls through which job openings are advertised ('negli avvisi e nei bandi'). Some commentators read this as also allowing disclosure before the interview, but the decree text names the job notice.

Asking about previous pay

Banned by law

Workers' right to information

Workers may request in writing, also via representatives or equality bodies, their pay level and average pay levels by sex for workers doing the same work or work of equal value; the employer must answer in writing within two months (Art. 7). Pay-secrecy clauses are void.

Pay reporting

Employers with 250+ employees report by 7 June 2027 and annually thereafter; 150–249 by 7 June 2027 and every three years; 100–149 by 7 June 2031 and every three years. A category gap of at least 5% that is not justified and not remedied within six months triggers a joint pay assessment.

Penalties

No dedicated administrative fine in the decree. Art. 13 refers to Art. 41 of the Equal Opportunities Code (Legislative Decree 198/2006): where discrimination is established, public benefits can be revoked and, in serious or repeat cases, the employer can be excluded for up to two years from public financial facilitation and public contracts. Judicial remedies under the Code apply.

Not verified: Official GU/Normattiva page itself not opened (text verified from the GU extract PDF). Commentators disagree on whether disclosure before the interview, instead of in the ad, is sufficient; some secondary sources cite fines of EUR 250–1,500, which under Art. 41(2) of Legislative Decree 198/2006 relate to other Code articles, not clearly to this decree.

Sources

1. Decreto legislativo 7 maggio 2026, n. 96 – estratto della Gazzetta Ufficiale (Serie Generale n. 125 del 1-6-2026) · Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana (extract hosted by DirittoBancario) · 01/06/2026
2. Trasparenza retributiva: le novità del D.lgs. 96/2026 · PwC Italia
3. In Gazzetta Ufficiale il decreto legislativo di trasposizione della direttiva UE 2023/970 · Bollettino ADAPT

Other countries