In Great Britain it has been proposed to give people the right to ask how much colleagues doing the same or equivalent work earn. The proposal covers cases where an employee suspects they are being paid unfairly and would apply to basic pay, bonuses, allowances and overtime. The idea was put forward on 27 October by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in response to a government consultation. For now it is only a proposal, and it is not known when, or if, it will be implemented.
| Situation | How it is now | What is proposed |
|---|---|---|
| An employee suspects they are underpaid | can write to the employer to ask about pay for equivalent work | introduce a standard questionnaire for pay-discrimination disputes |
| The company receives such a request | the law generally does not require an answer | the EHRC wants to set a deadline for replies and allow challenges to incomplete or inaccurate information |
| A candidate wants to know pay before an interview | the employer states it at their discretion | the government proposes stating pay in job adverts, and if there is no advert, providing it in writing before the interview |
What pay information employees would be able to obtain
Under the commission’s proposal, an employee would be able to compare their pay with that of a specific colleague or of a whole group. The questionnaire is proposed to ask for the following:
- basic pay and hours – the annual basic salary before tax and the number of hours the person works;
- bonuses and allowances – performance bonuses, shift allowances, overtime pay;
- duties – a description of the job, its level in the company and any job evaluation results, if available;
- reasons for differences – how the employer explains why pay or payments differ.
Comparisons can be made even when job titles differ, provided the work is equivalent. UK rules already allow matching identical or similar work, roles that the employer has assessed as equivalent, or entirely different work if it is equally demanding in terms of skill, effort and responsibility. So a description of duties often tells you more than the job title.
An example with a bonus at a fintech company
Take a hypothetical example. A company employs two risk analysts, both working 37.5 hours a week and both on the same basic salary of 42 000 pounds. Their annual bonuses, however, differ.
| Per year | Analyst A | Analyst B |
|---|---|---|
| Basic salary | 42 000 GBP | 42 000 GBP |
| Annual bonus | 2 000 GBP | 5 000 GBP |
| Total before tax | 44 000 GBP | 47 000 GBP |
So the difference is 3 000 pounds a year. But that alone does not prove anything. To understand where it came from you need to see the criteria for awarding bonuses and the performance assessments for both analysts. Perhaps one simply delivered better results.
How to protect personal data
The EHRC proposes disclosing information only in response to a specific request. However, there is a difficulty: in a small team even a figure without a name can reveal whose salary it is. The commission therefore advises considering aggregated group data and limits on who can receive this information and how it may be used. In addition, the whole procedure must comply with the UK’s data-protection rules.
What can be done now
Even without new rules, an employee can write to the employer personally or via a trade union. The letter should describe the employee’s duties, explain why the colleague’s work is equivalent, and ask about the terms of pay. If the case reaches an employment tribunal, that body will take into account the employer’s response and any failure to respond.
The gender pay gap and comparing with a colleague
According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), in April 2026 the median hourly pay for women working full time was 6.8% lower than for men. But that measure covers all occupations together and does not include overtime. In other words, it shows the overall picture rather than whether you are being underpaid personally.
| Measure | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Gender pay gap | the difference in median hourly pay for women and men across a large group |
| Comparison of equivalent work | whether the pay conditions of specific people differ and how the employer explains it |
When salaries might appear in job adverts
The government consultation for England, Scotland and Wales has already concluded. The government proposes informing candidates about pay before the interview. The EHRC went further, calling for a ban on employers asking candidates how much they currently earn or have earned previously. However, there are no final requirements for job adverts or a date for when any changes would take effect.
