On Friday, the government submitted to social partners the section of the draft law on pay transparency in the private sector. This text aims to transpose into French law a European directive designed to reduce pay inequalities between women and men.
The proposal notably stipulates that companies will have to include salary information, or at least a salary range, in job postings. Employees will also have the right to obtain information on the salary levels of colleagues in positions of "equal value."
A text expected before the summer
The system would apply to companies with at least 50 employees, in order to remain within the scope of the current gender equality index. However, the frequency of publication of the indicators would vary according to the size of the company, with an annual schedule for those with more than 250 employees.
The European directive must be transposed into national law by June 7, 2026. The government hopes to present the bill to Parliament before the summer, although no date has yet been set due to a busy legislative calendar. Some trade unions are already criticizing the text as insufficient, particularly regarding sanctions for persistent pay gaps.
