LEGAL NEWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT | Italy implements the EU Pay Transparency Directive

Legislative Decree No. 96 of 7 May 2026, published on 1 June 2026 and effective as of 7 June 2026, implements Directive (EU) No. 2023/970 of 10 May 2023 on pay transparency into Italian law. The Legislative Decree No. 96/2026 introduces new obligations aimed at strengthening the principle of equal pay between women and men through greater transparency in recruitment processes, remuneration policies and employment relationship management. Employers are now required to provide candidates with information on the salary or salary range applicable to the position and are prohibited from requesting information regarding candidates’ current or previous remuneration. Employees are granted new rights to access information concerning remuneration criteria and gender pay levels, while contractual pay secrecy provisions are no longer permitted. The Legislative Decree No. 96/2026 also introduces gender pay gap reporting obligations for employers with at least 100 employees, together with specific measures on data protection, protection against retaliation and sanctions for non-compliance. While certain reporting obligations will apply progressively over the coming years, the new recruitment transparency requirements and employees’ information rights are already in force. Employers should therefore review their recruitment processes, remuneration policies and internal procedures to ensure compliance with the new framework.

Newsletter n. 119 – June 2026