At the turn of the year, several new laws came into force. For example, security guards were then given increased powers, while it was clear that e-scooters had to be insured – just to name a few changes that the new legislation entailed.
In July, a few more laws came into force, including the one on the obligation to provide information and the EU’s rewritten single-use plastics directive.
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Other laws that are expected to come into force in the coming years concern, for example, charging stations and product availability. And there is actually one that can directly affect your salary.
The Wage Transparency Directive is to enter into force
In May 2023, the so-called salary transparency directive was adopted, which must be implemented in all EU countries by June 7, 2026 at the latest.
“The directive aims to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for women and men for equal or equivalent work (the equal pay principle), among other things, by increasing the transparency of wage setting, establishing minimum requirements for the regulations regarding the prohibition of wage discrimination and tightening the compliance mechanisms”, goes to study with the government.
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What does the salary transparency directive mean for employees?
For News24 develops Karin Lundingeneral counsel at the trade union Akavia, what the directive actually means for workers and their wages:
– This means greater transparency in the setting of wages in the workplace. Among other things, employees will have the right to know how their own salary compares to the average salary for male and female colleagues with equal or equivalent tasks. The directive also means increased opportunities for redress in the event of wage discrimination.
– The directive also means increased transparency for jobseekers. They must be informed about which starting salary or which starting salary range applies to the job. This must be done in good time before they themselves give their salary claim, for example in the job advertisement. It will also be forbidden to ask the applicant about current or previous salary.
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Photo: Martina Holmberg/TT”Better opportunity to influence one’s salary”
Karin Lundin states that Akavia welcomes the directive, but at the same time highlights potential disadvantages.
– It gives the individual a greater insight into the salary setting and salary structure in the workplace and thus gives a better opportunity to influence their salary and to discover unreasonable salary differences, she says and continues:
– We see a certain risk that the rules will lead to a more compressed salary structure in the workplace. The requirements for reporting wage statistics to the responsible authority also mean an increased administrative burden for employers.
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