“How much did you earn in your previous job?” and “What does this position pay?” are not equivalent questions. From 1 November 2026, the key new pay transparency provisions of Greek Law 5316/2026 begin to apply. Applicants for employment must receive timely information about the initial pay or its range, while employers are not permitted to ask for their pay history.

The official Ministry of Labour announcement of 8 October and the accompanying circular explain how the rights will operate. These changes do not mean that everyone will automatically receive a pay rise or that every worker can discover each colleague’s individual salary.

What the new starting date means

Equal pay for the same work or work of equal value does not first appear in November. Law 5316/2026, published in Government Gazette Series A No. 105 of 6 July 2026, transposes Directive (EU) 2023/970 and strengthens transparency and protection mechanisms. Under Article 48, the provisions of Articles 8–20 and 27 enter into force on 1 November 2026.

The text adopted by the Greek Parliament and official circular 26923/7.10.2026 allow us to distinguish the start of these particular rights from other, later reporting obligations. This article focuses on recruitment and the day-to-day employment relationship, particularly in the private sector; the overall statutory scope also includes categories of public-sector employment and must be checked for each relationship.

What applicants should know before an interview

Applicants are entitled to information about the initial pay or its range, based on objective, gender-neutral criteria, and about the applicable collective agreement, if there is one. The information must be provided a reasonable time before the interview. If there is no interview, it must precede the conclusion of the employment contract.

This provision does not mean that every public job advertisement must include a numerical pay figure. Information may be provided in writing or orally, through an appropriate means. Clear written clarification is useful in practice for an applicant, without being presented as the only lawful format. Where a range is stated, it is worth clarifying the calculation basis, payment frequency, fixed components and variable benefits.

What changes about questions on previous pay

The employer and anyone acting on its behalf may not seek information about an applicant’s pay history in current or previous employment relationships. Previous pay must not serve as a starting point that perpetuates earlier inequalities. Job titles and advertisements must also be gender-neutral, and recruitment procedures must not be discriminatory.

A discussion about an applicant’s reasonable pay expectations is different from a demand to disclose what they were paid. Transparency first concerns the offered position and its objective pay criteria. If you face a persistent demand for your pay history, keep the advertisement and the relevant lawful communications; assessing a specific infringement requires the actual facts, not just an isolated phrase.

What existing workers can request

Workers may request and receive written information about their own individual pay level and average pay levels, broken down by sex, for the category of workers performing the same work or work of equal value. The request can be supported through workers’ representatives or the Greek Ombudsman, in accordance with the procedure.

The employer must reply within a reasonable time and, in any event, no later than two months after the request is submitted. It must also inform workers annually about the right and how to exercise it. If the response is incomplete or inaccurate, clarification may be requested. This does not, however, provide unrestricted access to every payroll record: the law addresses manifestly disproportionate or abusive requests.

How colleagues’ pay information is protected

The right to information does not remove personal data protection. Information about comparable categories must not become a list of names and individual salaries. Where a small group makes it possible to identify a particular worker, specific safeguards and limits on direct access apply, using the institutional channels laid down in the framework.

The appropriate question is therefore not “What does that particular colleague earn?” but “What is the comparable category, and what are its average pay levels by sex?” Pay differences do not automatically establish discrimination: the value of the work and objective, neutral criteria, such as skills, effort, responsibility and working conditions, must be examined.

What businesses need to organise

A business needs an understandable pay structure, documented criteria, clear information before recruitment and a process for recording and answering requests. The possible exemption for businesses with fewer than 50 workers specifically concerns information about criteria for pay progression; it does not remove equal pay or the basic information rights as a whole.

Periodic gender pay gap reporting follows a different timetable. Employers with at least 150 workers must make their first submission by 7 June 2027, while the first submission for the 100–149 category is due by 7 June 2031. Reporting frequency varies according to size. The threshold is assessed using the average number of workers during the previous calendar year, in accordance with the circular’s guidance. These milestones must not be confused with 1 November, nor should it be assumed that every small business submits the same report on that date.

A practical request without overstatement

Before an interview, an applicant can ask: “Please inform me of the initial pay or pay range for the position and the applicable collective agreement, if any.” An existing worker can request written information about their individual pay and the average levels by sex for their comparable category, recording the date and keeping proof of submission.

Keep a copy of the request and the reply. If there is a substantive dispute or adverse treatment because a right was exercised, the appropriate procedures before the Greek Ombudsman, the Labour Inspectorate and, where necessary, the courts should be considered. There is no promise of an automatic pay rise, appointment or compensation without assessment of the case.

Directive (EU) 2023/970 provides the European background. Our earlier analysis of pay transparency reflects the June consultation stage; this guide addresses the new, specific implementation milestone.

Nomika Epilekta Editorial Team. Written and language edited with artificial intelligence assistance, with the cited official sources checked on 13/10/2026. The image is an original AI illustration. General legal information; application to a specific contract or dispute requires an individual assessment.