Greece Introduces New Gender Pay Transparency Rules

by · Greek City Times

Greece introduced new pay transparency and equal pay rules on Sunday, 1 November 2026, requiring private-sector employers to explain how they determine salaries and ensure that women and men receive equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.

The new framework, established under Law 5316/2026 to implement European Directive 2023/970, introduces specific obligations for employers and strengthens workers’ rights to salary information during recruitment and throughout their employment.

At the heart of the legislation lies the principle that employers must determine salaries according to the work employees perform and its value, rather than their gender.

The measures require employers to establish objective salary structures, disclose pay information to job applicants and existing employees, identify unjustified wage differences and take corrective action when they find inequalities.

Read more: Greece Sets New Rules on Equal Pay and Salary Transparency

The framework also strengthens workers’ protection and their ability to seek equal treatment and fair remuneration.

Employers Must Establish Objective Pay Structures

From 1 November 2026, all employers, regardless of the number of people they employ, must introduce and apply pay structures that guarantee equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.

Employers must document these structures in writing, ensure they allow comparisons between different positions, establish a review procedure and clearly identify the components of remuneration for each employee category.

Employers must assess positions using objective criteria that do not discriminate on the basis of gender. They will develop these criteria in agreement with employee representatives, where such representatives exist.

The criteria include:

  • Skills;
  • Effort;
  • Responsibility;
  • Working conditions.

Employers may also consider other factors relevant to a particular job or position, including seniority and relevant non-technical skills.

Employers covered by a collective labour agreement may use the job classifications and salary scales set out in that agreement.

The new framework also requires companies to monitor their internal gender pay gaps and identify unjustified differences at an early stage.

Businesses must report information on the overall gender pay gap, the gender gap in bonuses, the median pay gap and pay differences across employee categories.

If employers identify differences that objective, gender-neutral factors cannot justify — such as greater experience, higher qualifications or the requirements of a position — they must take corrective action under the prescribed procedures.

What Changes for Job Advertisements and Recruitment

Pay transparency begins before an employer hires a new employee.

Under the new rules, job advertisements, recruitment notices and other vacancy announcements cannot refer to an applicant’s gender or family status. Employers also cannot use criteria that result in direct or indirect gender discrimination.

Job applicants have the right to learn the starting salary or salary range for a position before their first interview.

Employers must base this information on objective, gender-neutral criteria and include details of any applicable collective labour agreement.

Employers also cannot ask candidates how much they earned in previous jobs.

This restriction aims to prevent existing pay inequalities from carrying over into new employment. Instead, employers must determine salaries according to the requirements of the position, candidates’ qualifications and objective assessment criteria.

As a result, applicants will know the salary framework before pursuing a position, without their previous earnings influencing the employer’s offer.

Employees Gain the Right to Request Salary Information

The legislation gives employees the right to request written information about their individual pay level and the average pay levels, broken down by gender, for employees performing equal work or work of equal value.

Employers must respond within a reasonable period and, in all cases, within two months of receiving a request.

They must also inform employees every year about this right and explain how they can exercise it.

Employers must provide the information while respecting personal data protection and confidentiality requirements.

When Employers Must Conduct a Joint Pay Assessment

The new framework establishes a joint pay assessment mechanism that employers must activate when three conditions occur together:

  1. The average pay difference between women and men reaches at least 5% in any employee category.
  2. Objective, gender-neutral criteria cannot justify the difference.
  3. The employer fails to correct the difference within six months of submitting the relevant pay information.

The assessment aims to identify unjustified pay differences, establish measures to address them and prevent them from recurring.

The process requires employers and employee representatives to:

  • Record the proportion of women and men in each employee category.
  • Examine average pay levels for women and men.
  • Analyse additional and variable components of remuneration.
  • Record pay differences and investigate their causes using objective, gender-neutral criteria agreed between the employer and employee representatives.
  • Examine the proportion of women and men who received a pay improvement after returning from maternity, paternity, parental or carers’ leave, where such improvements occurred within the relevant employee category during the period of leave.

If the assessment identifies unjustified differences, employers must determine the necessary corrective measures and evaluate their effectiveness. They must also consider the findings of previous joint pay assessments.

Employees Gain Stronger Rights to Challenge Pay Inequality

The new legislation strengthens employees’ ability to seek redress when they experience unequal pay.

Workers will be able to lodge complaints with the Labour Inspectorate or take their cases to court. They may also seek support from the Greek Ombudsman and trade unions, within their respective areas of responsibility.

The framework therefore goes beyond simply giving employees access to salary information. It establishes procedures to identify, document and correct unjustified pay differences.

According to the Ministry of Labour, the objective is to make equal pay for equal work or work of equal value a practical reality through transparent procedures, objective assessment criteria and effective action against unjustified wage inequalities.

(Source: AMNA)

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