Salary in your job ad is becoming the norm. The EU pay transparency directive (EU) 2023/970 gives applicants the right to receive, before the interview, information about the starting pay or range for the role, for example in a published job ad, and prohibits asking about someone's pay history [1]. The Netherlands should have transposed the directive by 7 June 2026 [1]. The bill was submitted to the House of Representatives on 21 May 2026 and is due to take effect on 1 January 2027, but hasn't yet been approved by both Chambers [2].
What does the directive say about applicants?
Article 5 of the directive has three parts [1]:
- Applicants have the right to receive from the prospective employer information about the starting pay or its range, based on objective, gender-neutral criteria, and where applicable about the relevant provisions of the collective agreement. The information must be provided in a way that allows informed and transparent negotiation on pay, for example in a published job ad.
- Employers may not ask applicants about their pay in current or previous employment.
- Employers ensure that job ads and job titles are gender-neutral and that recruitment procedures are non-discriminatory.
Where does the Netherlands stand on 11 October 2026?
According to the Dutch government, the cabinet submitted a bill transposing the directive to the House of Representatives on 21 May 2026. The bill includes, among other things, a ban on asking about the last salary earned in talks on employment conditions and an obligation to have an objective system for valuing and classifying jobs. Organisations with more than 100 employees will report regularly on pay differences: employers with at least 150 employees for the first time by 7 June 2028 about 2027, employers with 100 to 150 employees in 2031 about 2030. The bill is intended to take effect on 1 January 2027; it still has to pass the House of Representatives and the Senate [2]. The transposition deadline of the directive has therefore passed while the parliamentary process is ongoing [1][2].
Why state a range now?
It's not a legal duty as long as the law hasn't been adopted. But a job ad with an hourly rate or range prevents you from discovering late in the process that expectations don't match, and forces you to think in advance about objective pay for the role. A range also carries an obligation: you must be able to justify the role and the pay.
What does this mean for junior roles and working students?
- The floor remains the statutory minimum wage: as of 1 July 2026 € 14.99 per hour from age 21 and lower amounts by age for 15 to 20 [3]. A range can't fall below that.
- The ban on asking about pay history mainly affects applicants with earlier jobs; a student with little experience often has none. A range based on the role rather than the past fits that.
- According to the directive, job ads and job titles must be gender-neutral [1].
Practical steps
- Set an hourly rate or range per role based on objective criteria such as tasks, responsibility and required skills
- State the hourly rate or range and the hours per week in the job ad
- Don't ask applicants about their current or previous salary
- Use gender-neutral job titles
- Follow the progress of the bill and consult an employment lawyer if in doubt
Sources
- EUR-Lex (Europese Unie) (2023): Richtlijn (EU) 2023/970 ter versterking van het beginsel van gelijke beloning (artikel 5), accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid (2026): Meer openheid over loonkloof tussen mannen en vrouwen, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid (2026): Bedragen minimumloon 2026, accessed 11 October 2026.
Transparency: VOIDS connects working students with organisations and therefore has an interest in this topic. We back up facts with sources and connect research and trends to our own experience from practice.
