In the media: Melanie Crowley on Newstalk

New EU pay transparency rules are set to reshape how Irish employers advertise roles, report salaries and demonstrate equal pay.

Melanie Crowley, Head of our Employment Law & Benefits team, joined Anton Savage on Newstalk Breakfast to discuss the new rules and their impact on employers.

Our latest poll, which was covered in The Irish Times, found that one in five Irish employers (21%) see the incoming pay transparency rules as an unnecessary burden. Almost half (48%) said the rules would have a neutral impact on their organisation, while only three in ten (31%) anticipated a positive effect. The rules require employers to disclose salary ranges and strengthen equal pay enforcement to reduce gender pay gaps.

Read full survey results

Melanie commented:

"I think it's going to be enormously difficult, not just for small employers, but also for very large employers. There's a huge amount of work involved, not just for HR practitioners, but for finance people as well… And when the Directive is implemented, the burden of proof shifts onto the employer to prove that there's no discrimination."

Under the new rules, employers will be required to advertise clear pay ranges for all roles and will be prohibited from using gendered job titles in job postings. Employees will gain the right to access transparent information about pay progression and how their salary compares to colleagues doing the same work or work of equal value.

Melanie noted that defining "equal value" across different roles and departments could prove challenging for organisations. She also pointed out that while the legislation is intended to benefit employees by making pay information more accessible, it raises difficult questions for employers with long-standing employees, whose lengthy service and loyalty has been factored into their pay.

Melanie confirmed that while the Directive was due to be transposed into Irish law by 7 June, the Government has indicated this will not happen, with a phased implementation now expected. Rules around job advertisements and applicant salary queries are set to come into force first, followed by the remaining provisions.

Our Employment Law and Benefits team is the largest of its kind in Ireland, advising domestic and multinational employers on the full spectrum of workplace issues, from day-to-day HR matters to complex litigation. The team is ranked in IEL Elite 2026 and consistently recognised as Band 1/Tier 1 by Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500.

Listen back to the full conversation (7 minutes).

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.