Overview

• From June 7, 2026, the EU pay-transparency directive becomes legally binding for employers in Germany.
• Job postings will need to include pay ranges, applicants may learn the salary band before hiring, and employees can discuss their pay without restrictions.
• The ministry’s plan centers on three tools: a right to pay information in firms with more than 200 employees, encouraged pay-review procedures above 500, and reporting duties for HGB-reporting employers typically over 500.
• An 11-member commission on a low-bureaucracy rollout is slated to deliver implementation proposals to the federal equality ministry by the end of October 2025.
• Experts warn that limited awareness, company-size thresholds, and the six-person comparator rule could limit impact, while Focus online reports a proposed 5% gap trigger for explanation or correction that is not yet officially confirmed.