New Equal Pay Act: Threat of fines or an opportunity to clean up in companies?

The world of HR and corporate management is facing one of the biggest changes in recent years. You may have already noticed that On June 7, 2026, Act No. 76/2026 Coll. on equal remuneration for men and women for equal work or work of equal value entered into force.. Employers established before the effective date of the act must fulfill the basic obligations. by July 31, 2026 at the latest.

This is not just a cosmetic amendment to the Labor Code. This law, which responds to a European directive, completely rewrites the rules of the game in the areas of wages, recruitment, and internal transparency. If you thought that having a formal clause prohibiting discrimination in contracts was enough until now, we have important news for you: Under the new rules, you must proactively demonstrate the fairness and objectivity of the wage system..

Time is running out.

Let's take a look together at what this legislation actually brings and how to turn it from a bureaucratic bogeyman into a competitive advantage.

What changes in practice? (And why old contracts won't hold up)

Up to now, it has been customary to „put out“ wage differences only when someone complained. However, the new law shifts the initiative – and in case of disputes, also burden of proof – directly on the employer's shoulders. If an employee sues you for unequal pay, you will have to prove in court precisely that the wage difference is based on objective factors.

1. End to secrecy: The right to information and prohibition of confidentiality

Contractual clauses in which you required employees to remain silent about their salary are invalid. The employer can no longer penalize anyone for discussing their salary with colleagues. Furthermore, every employee will have The right to request written information about the average compensation of colleagues on a comparable position. You must provide him with this data immediately, no later than two months.

2. Revolutionizing Recruiting: Banning the Inquiry of Salary History

Forget the favorite interview question: „How much did you earn at your previous employer?“ The law explicitly prohibits it.. The value of a job must be determined objectively, not based on how the candidate set the bar in their previous job. Advertisements must be strictly gender-neutral (e.g., assistant, salesperson), and candidates must receive precise information about the starting salary or a reasonable range thereof in advance.

3. Mandatory reporting and the 5 % threshold

If you employ 100 or more people, you will have a regular report on wage gaps for the Ministry of Labor. If it turns out that the average difference between men and women in the same category is 5 % and more And if you cannot justify it rationally and objectively, you must conduct an in-depth audit in cooperation with employee representatives and rectify the situation.

work of equal value

The biggest challenge for companies is to correctly understand the term work of equal value. The law states that we must also compare positions that have completely different job content but bring comparable value to the company.

To measure it, you need to implement a remuneration structure based on 4 mandatory legal criteria:

• Work complexity (knowledge, education, skills, planning)
• Responsibility (for people, finances, material assets, information)
• Namaste physical, mental, and very important emotional complaisance
• Working conditions (environment, time management, psychosocial risks)

Watch out for stereotypes! The law specifically warns about the so-called. halo effect and undervaluing certain types of work. Empathy in customer service or precise fine motor skills in assembly are acquired skills and demanding emotional/mental workloads that you must rate fairly, just like physical strength, for example.

Clear Steps to Compliance: Do You Have a Plan?

The implementation of this law is not a matter of one afternoon. It requires a systematic process, from analyzing the current state to rewriting internal guidelines. We have created a recommended procedure for you, which includes clearly described steps.

If these obligations are violated, the Labor Inspection Office may impose fines. up to EUR 100,000. It's simply not worth the risk.

However, don't worry too much. We have a ready-made solution for you!

We understand that going through all the steps, dotting dozens of positions in the company, and rewriting salary guidelines sounds like a legislative nightmare. The good news is that You don't need to reinvent the wheel.

V TRIGON Consulting s.r.o. we have prepared a practical Manual.

What will you find in our manual?

• Complete step-by-step guide, how to safely navigate the entire implementation process.
• Internal guideline and remuneration regulation templates, which simply need to be adapted to your company.
• Document and template samples for processing employee requests for salary information.
• Assessment tool with predefined weights and formulas for position scoring (taking into account all 14 subfactors and 4 legal criteria).
• Specific model examples position evaluations that immediately allow you to understand how to set up the system in a gender-neutral and objective manner.

Pre získanie manuálu vyplňte a odošlite tento formulár.

Additionally, we have a team of experienced HR managers who are intensely focused on this topic and are ready to help you, whether you already have prepared materials and need a consultation, or they will prepare a complete solution tailored to your needs.