Employers in the UK can still ask job applicants how much they earn, but candidates are under no obligation to answer. The question of salary history remains legal despite growing calls from campaigners and recruitment bodies to stop the practice.
Louise Rudd, a senior adviser at Acas, the workplace advice and conciliation service, confirmed that UK employers “are within their rights” to ask about current pay or salary expectations. However, she stressed that employers should ask every candidate the same questions to ensure fairness.
Campaigns against salary history questions have gained traction across Europe. The Fawcett Society, which focuses on women's rights and gender equality, launched the #EndSalaryHistory movement, warning that asking about pay risks perpetuating wage disparities linked to gender, race, and disability. The society argued that basing offers on previous salaries rewards negotiating skills or historic pay gaps rather than skills or experience.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) joined the push, urging recruiters to stop requesting salary histories. Shazia Ejaz, director of campaigns at the REC, advised jobseekers to approach salary questions with “realism but also confidence.” She encouraged candidates to “focus on showcasing the value they bring” and to “know the market rate for the role” before interviews. “Jobseekers who have done their homework on salaries and can explain the contribution they will make are in the strongest position to secure the right package,” she added.
The UK government has not adopted a ban on salary history questions. Instead, Cabinet Office plans focus on encouraging employers to publish salary ranges in job adverts to promote transparency. By contrast, new EU rules will prohibit employers from asking about past pay. These rules are expected to come into effect soon across member states, but the UK remains outside this framework post-Brexit.
Some members of the public, interviewed by BBC News in London, admitted they might inflate their current salaries when asked, hoping to negotiate better pay. Acas’ Rudd warned that lying in interviews carries risks and suggested candidates could instead give salary expectations or refer to typical ranges for the role.
UK employment law also requires employers not to discriminate based on protected characteristics such as age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. While salary questions are permitted, they must not be used to justify unfair pay differences linked to these factors.
The debate over salary history is part of a broader conversation about pay transparency and equality. As the UK continues to avoid banning the question outright, jobseekers face a choice: reveal their current pay, deflect with expectations, or refuse to answer. Each approach carries potential consequences for how they are perceived and ultimately compensated.
Employers and recruiters must balance their desire to know pay history with the risk of reinforcing pay gaps. Candidates who prepare by researching market rates and articulating their value appear best placed to secure fair offers without disclosing past salaries.
According to Joy Online.
