EU Pay Transparency Directive Implementation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Quick Hits

• Slovakia remains further ahead than the Czech Republic with transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive into national law, with a dedicated draft law already in the legislative process.
• The Czech Republic published a draft Labour Code amendment and has explicitly opted for a “minimalist transposition” mirroring the directive’s minimum requirements.
• In both countries, employers may want to begin reviewing pay structures, transparency practices, and internal governance now.

Slovakia published its draft implementing law in September 2025 and submitted it to Parliament on 7 January 2026. On 26 March 2026, the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs released its draft proposal, which has now entered the public consultation phase.

Where the Two Countries Stand

Slovakia and the Czech Republic are both moving towards implementation, but they are doing so in different ways and at different speeds.

Slovakia

Slovakia is further along in the transposition process than its neighbour. Its transposition effort is built around a dedicated draft law on equal remuneration for men and women for the same work or work of equal value, which is already in the legislative process.

The Slovak draft is particularly detailed on recruitment. Employers would have to provide applicants with timely and transparent information on the starting remuneration or remuneration range for a role. This requirement would be considered fulfilled if the salary information included in the job advertisement is more prescriptive than the directive requires. While Slovak law has required salary disclosure in job advertisements since 2018, the new proposal would go further by requiring the remuneration offered to be linked to objective, gender-neutral criteria established before the position is advertised. Employers would also be prohibited from asking candidates about their current or previous remuneration.

The proposal also would strengthen transparency during employment. Employers would not be allowed to prevent employees from disclosing information about their remuneration, and any contractual provisions imposing confidentiality in this area would be invalid. Because the Slovak draft uses the broader concept of remuneration, this transparency would not be confined to wages or salary in the narrow sense, but could also cover other benefits linked to employment.

The Slovak reporting model largely follows the directive. Employers with fewer than one hundred employees would not be required to report unless they chose to do so voluntarily. A failure to comply could ultimately lead to a fine of up to EUR 4,000.

The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has also moved beyond the preparatory stage. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has prepared a draft amendment to the Labour Code to transpose the Pay Transparency Directive into Czech law and has made clear that it is pursuing a “minimalist transposition”. The stated aim is to meet EU requirements while limiting the burden on employers as far as possible.

The legislation is expected to take effect from 1 January 2027, although some requirements will be phased in later, with reporting implementation dates extending to 2028 (for employers with 150 or more employees) and 2031 (for employers with 100-149 employees). This timeline confirms that the Czech Republic does not intend to meet the European Union’s transposition deadline of 7 June 2026.

Employers are encouraged to stay informed about the implementation process in their respective jurisdictions. Information and updates on the progress of the directive’s implementation across the European Union can be found using Ogletree Deakins’ Member State Implementation Tracker.

Further information can also be found by listening to our podcast, “Understanding the EU Pay Transparency Directive: What Employers Need to Know.”

Ogletree Deakins’ London office, Pay Equity Practice Group, and Workforce Analytics and Compliance Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will provide updates on the Cross-Border, Pay Equity, and Workforce Analytics and Compliance blogs as additional information becomes available.

Daniella McGuigan is a partner in the London office of Ogletree Deakins and co-chair of the firm’s Pay Equity Practice Group.

Lorraine Matthews, a practice assistant in the London office of Ogletree Deakins, contributed to this article.

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