For employees – rights, responsibilities and steps to take

Equal pay for equal work or work of equal value is a right of every employee, regardless of sex, position or field of activity.

Pay equity is based on fair compensation, transparency, the correction of unjustified disparities, and the protection of whistleblowers.

For employees – rights, responsibilities and steps to take

Rights of employees

1. The right to equal pay

If you do the same work or work of equal value to that of a colleague of the opposite sex, you must be paid at the same level. Even if job titles differ, they can be considered of equal value when they require the same level of training, effort, responsibility and conditions (for example, “HR Specialist” and “Procurement Specialist” at the same level).

2. The right to salary information

You can request, in writing, information about the pay levels of women and men who hold the same position or perform equal work or work of equal value. The employer is obliged to respond with aggregated figures, broken down by gender (for example, how many men and women hold the position and what the average or median (the “middle” value) of salaries is for each group, without stating what each individual colleague earns. This is to protect confidentiality. The information is communicated without disclosing the individual salary of colleagues, in order to protect the confidentiality of personal data.

3. The right to receive the annual report

In companies with more than 50 employees, an annual analysis of pay differences between women and men is prepared. Employees can consult this report and discuss with the HR department what is being done to reduce the differences. If it has not been published, ask HR when it will be available.

4. The right to correction of pay differences

Under the law, pay differences for positions of equal value may be justified only by objective criteria such as quantity and quality of work, level of training and qualification, professional competence, seniority, degree of responsibility and complexity of work. Therefore, if the internal analysis shows that women/men earn more than 5% less than men in a comparable position and this difference cannot be explained by one of the foreseen factors (e.g. greater experience or higher qualification), the employer must eliminate the gap. The correction may involve raising salaries to match those of men in those roles, updating job descriptions to correctly reflect responsibilities, and providing training or professional reskilling so that all employees meet the requirements of the position and are paid equally.

How do I know if 5% is “unjustified”? HR must explain whether the difference comes from seniority, qualification, performance or other objective criteria. If not, corrective measures are applied.

5. Protection against retaliation

The law protects you from any negative consequences if you request information or have reported discrimination. If you feel pressure after a request/complaint: note the facts (date, what happened), inform HR or the ethics/compliance officer specified in the internal regulations. It is good to keep communications in writing.

6. The right to representation

You can ask for the support of trade unions or employee representatives to back your case. If you cannot find an internal solution, you can contact the Equality Council or the State Labour Inspectorate (see “Useful contacts”).

Responsibilities of employees

1. Confidentiality

Information communicated by the employer must be used only for the purpose of assessing compliance with the principle of equal pay – received solely for the evaluation of pay equality. It must not be used to identify, disclose or deduce the individual salary of other employees. In situations where a category contains very few persons, the employer or HR may merge categories or present aggregated data to ensure anonymity and personal data protection. This is natural and legitimate.

2. Accuracy of data

When you submit a request or complaint, describe the situation clearly and accurately, indicating the relevant facts and, if possible, the period in which they occurred. Attach documents that can support what you state, such as the job description, individual employment contract, addenda, pay slips, performance evaluations or other relevant evidence. A short chronological presentation can be very helpful, for example: “since June 2024 I have held position X, and in December 2024 I received salary Y”. To protect personal data and confidentiality, do not transmit documents containing salary or personal data of other colleagues.

3. Use of internal procedures

Before notifying external institutions, address the HR department or your manager and follow the internal resolution mechanisms. If you cannot find an internal solution, you can contact the Equality Council or the State Labour Inspectorate (see “Contacts” on this platform).

Steps to take in case of suspected pay discrimination

The process involves documenting the situation, requesting official information, analysing the justification for pay differences, internal discussion and, if necessary, involving the trade unions or reporting to the competent institutions.

1. Document the situation

Gather the job description, the employment contract, pay slips, and, if available, the job advertisement with the pay range. Briefly write what you actually do at work (responsibilities, decisions, workload) and the relevant data of your career in the company (since when you have held the position, what changes have occurred). The aim is not to collect colleagues' salaries (these are confidential), but to build a clear picture of your role and the pay received in relation to the responsibilities of colleagues of the opposite sex in comparable positions.

2. Request official information

Submit a written request asking for information on pay levels broken down by gender for employees who hold the same position or perform work of equal value. As a rule, this request is submitted according to the company's internal procedure, and the employer is obliged to respond within a clear and reasonable deadline set out in the internal regulations, providing aggregated data, not individual salaries, in order to protect confidentiality. In units where a trade union or employee representatives exist, information may also be communicated through them.

3. Analyse the response

Check whether the pay difference is justified by seniority, required qualifications, role or documented performance results. If there is no justification, continue with the following steps.

4. Discuss internally

Present the results to your manager or HR through a polite message and ask for clarification or a remediation proposal. In many cases, the issue can be resolved through dialogue.

5. Consult the trade union or employee representatives

If the situation remains unresolved, they can offer you advice, accompany you to discussions and negotiate with the employer on your behalf.

6. File a complaint

As a next step, you can notify the Equality Council or the State Labour Inspectorate. In the complaint, describe the situation and attach the collected evidence and previous attempts at internal resolution.

7. Court action

As a last resort, if all administrative routes have failed, you may take court action to recover the pay differences and, where appropriate, moral damages.

Final recommendations

Throughout the process, maintain a professional attitude and keep all communications in writing.

Respect the confidentiality of the data received (these are statistics, not individual salaries) and use it only to assess pay equality.

Always check the company’s internal regulations for exact deadlines and steps and, if needed, seek additional advice from the trade union or the competent institutions.