Pay transparency rules in Italy
Yes. Italy was among the first, in force from 7 June 2026 under Legislative Decree 96/2026: pay in job ads, a salary-history ban, a right to pay information, and reporting for larger employers.
Italy's rules are in force
What happened
Italy's new pay-transparency rules have applied since 7 June 2026.
What it means for you
If you hire in Italy, you must show pay in job ads and must not ask about past pay. Staff can ask for pay information. Employers with 100 or more staff must report their gender pay gap, starting with the largest.
Dates to know
- 7 June 2027First pay-gap reports from employers with 150 or more staff.
- 7 June 2031First pay-gap reports from employers with 100 to 149 staff.
Source: Littler. We check this page every week. Last checked .
Italy is one of the first EU member states to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970). Legislative Decree No. 96 of 7 May 2026 (D.Lgs. 96/2026), published in the Official Gazette on 1 June 2026, applies from 7 June 2026. Employers must give the initial pay or pay range, on objective gender-neutral criteria, before interview and cannot ask candidates about current or past pay, even indirectly or through agencies.
Employees may request, once every 12 months, their own pay level and the average pay by sex for comparable roles, with a written reply within two months. Employers with 100 or more staff report their gender pay gap on the Directive schedule, and an unjustified average gap of at least 5 percent in a worker category that is not corrected within six months triggers a joint pay assessment. Sanctions run through Italy’s Equal Opportunities Code.
What is in force in Italy?
From 7 June 2026, employers must show pay in job ads, cannot ask about salary history, must answer pay-information requests, and (at 100+ staff) report their gender pay gap.
Legislative Decree No. 96/2026 applies from 7 June 2026. Job adverts must give the initial pay or pay range on objective, gender-neutral criteria, and employers cannot ask candidates about current or past pay, even indirectly or through agencies. Employees can request their pay level and average pay by sex for comparable roles once every 12 months, with a written reply within two months.
Who reports, and when?
Employers with 100 or more staff report on the Directive schedule: 250+ annually with a first report by 7 June 2027; 150 to 249 every three years from 7 June 2027; 100 to 149 every three years from 7 June 2031.
An unjustified average pay gap of at least 5 percent in a worker category, not corrected within six months, triggers a joint pay assessment with worker representatives.
What are the penalties?
Sanctions run through Italy’s Equal Opportunities Code, including administrative fines reported around EUR 5,000 to 10,000, plus possible loss of public benefits and exclusion from public tenders for up to two years.
Penalties are applied under Article 41 of the Equal Opportunities Code (D.Lgs. 198/2006). Reported fines are in the region of EUR 5,000 to 10,000 for violations, with revocation of public benefits and, in serious or repeated cases, exclusion for up to two years from public procurement and financing facilities.
Hiring in Italy?
What Teamed handles for you in Italy
Teamed is the legal employer in Italy, so the duties under Legislative Decree 96/2026, in force since 7 June 2026, sit with us rather than with you.
These sit with us
- Pay range in the ad, before interview
- No salary-history questions, including through agencies
- Written pay-information replies within two months
- Gender pay-gap reports from 100 staff upwards
- Joint pay assessment on a 5 percent gap
You keep
The role, the budget and the pay decision. Your people still report to you.
The ad and pay-information duties applied from day one. Reporting is phased, and the 100 to 149 band does not report until 2031.
At a glance
| Pay shown in job ads | Yes |
|---|---|
| Salary-history question banned | Yes |
| Gender pay-gap reporting from | 100 or more, phased |
| First report due | 7 June 2027 |
| Penalties | EUR 5,000 to 10,000 |
Key figures
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Transposing instrument | Legislative Decree No. 96 of 7 May 2026 (D.Lgs. 96/2026) (source) |
| In force from | 7 June 2026 (published in the Official Gazette on 1 June 2026) (source) |
| Pay in job ads | Required: initial pay or pay range on objective gender-neutral criteria (source) |
| Salary-history ban | Prohibited to ask candidates about current or past pay, even indirectly or via agencies (source) |
| Right to pay information | Employees may request, once every 12 months, their pay level and average pay by sex for comparable roles; written reply within 2 months (source) |
| Reporting threshold and first reports | 100+ employees, phased: 250+ first report by 7 June 2027 (annual); 150 to 249 by 7 June 2027 (every 3 years); 100 to 149 by 7 June 2031 (source) |
| Penalties | Administrative fines around EUR 5,000 to 10,000 under Article 41 of the Equal Opportunities Code (D.Lgs. 198/2006); plus loss of public benefits and up to 2 years exclusion from public tenders (source) |
Frequently asked questions
Is the EU Pay Transparency Directive in force in Italy?
Yes. Italy is one of the first member states to have the rules in force, from 7 June 2026, under Legislative Decree No. 96/2026.
Can we ask an Italian candidate about their current pay?
No. Employers cannot ask candidates about current or past pay, even indirectly or through agencies, and must give the initial pay or pay range before interview.
When does an Italian employer first report its gender pay gap?
Employers with 250 or more staff make a first report by 7 June 2027, those with 150 to 249 also by 7 June 2027 (then every three years), and those with 100 to 149 by 7 June 2031.
Pay transparency is moving at different speeds across the EU. When Teamed is your legal employer in Italy, these duties sit with us: compliant pay ranges, the salary-history rule, employee pay-information requests, and reporting where it applies. We track the law as it changes so your hiring stays compliant.
