"What's your current salary?": the question that becomes illegal in June 2026
If you applied for a job in the last twelve months, you probably heard this sentence at least once: “And how much are you currently earning?”
On 7 June 2026, this question will become illegal in Belgium.
It is one of the most concrete consequences, and one of the least discussed, of the European directive 2023/970 on pay transparency, which Belgium must transpose into national law by that date at the latest. And for many candidates, it marks a major shift in the balance of power.
Last year, our CEO Malik Gourara was invited on Canal Z to break down the implications of this directive. One year later, two months from the deadline, what he announced is being confirmed point by point. We revisited his intervention in the light of the latest 2026 data. Here is what this directive really changes, for you, candidate or employer, and why some sectors will feel it more than others.
What concretely changes on 7 June 2026
The directive rests on three pillars: more transparency before hiring, more information during employment, and new reporting obligations for companies with more than 100 employees.
For candidates, four major changes come into force:
1. Salary ranges will have to appear on job postings, or be communicated before any interview. No more mystery on starting compensation. As Malik put it on Canal Z: “All salaries will have to appear on job postings. There are quite a few measures being put in place, again, to address inequalities between men and women.”
2. Employers will no longer be allowed to ask about your current or previous salary. This is probably the most radical change for candidates. The practice mechanically anchored existing pay gaps, especially for women and for profiles changing sectors.
3. You will have the right to request a salary report for your category of workers. And this is where many get it wrong. As Malik clarifies: “It means a sales person cannot request data for someone in marketing, but can do so for their own category.” You will not know what your office neighbour earns if they hold a different role, but you will know where you stand within your own function.
4. If the pay gap between men and women exceeds 5% in a category, the company will have to justify or correct it. Without objective justification, a joint pay assessment becomes mandatory with worker representatives.
The Belgian pay gap in 2026: between European top student and persistent blind spots
On paper, Belgium looks like a strong performer. According to Statbel and Eurostat, the harmonised hourly pay gap between men and women stood at 0.7% in 2023, one of the lowest in Europe.
But this number hides a more complex reality. According to the 2025 report from the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men, the pay gap corrected for working time stands at 7.0%, and 19.5% without correction. In Wallonia, in the private sector, women earn on average 17.6% less than men over the year.
Why such a gap between figures? Because the national average flattens sectoral disparities. And that is exactly where the directive will hit hardest.
Why construction and real estate will feel this directive more sharply
Asked about the most exposed sectors, Malik was direct on Canal Z:
“We work a lot in the construction and real estate sectors. In construction, there could be more challenges, simply because the sector has been short of certain skills for a very long time. There are some roles we just cannot fill, it is a sector under pressure. That means we are quickly led to make exceptional offers, or to put retention measures in place that involve significant pay rises, which keep widening these inequalities.”
The paradox is harsh: the directive aims to reduce inequalities, but in sectors under pressure, the market amplifies them mechanically. When a Project Manager specialised in HVAC is poached with an offer 15 to 20% above market, the gap widens at hiring, not among colleagues already in place.
This is a point our Real Estate & Engineering Salary Guide 2026 documents precisely, range by range, profile by profile. The pay gaps at equal skills can be striking, and transparency will expose them publicly from June onwards.
The other blind spot: companies are not ready
According to RTBF, less than two months from the deadline, “Belgium is not yet ready”. Discussions on transposition are still ongoing within the National Labour Council. The employer side, through the FEB, is even pushing to follow the Swedish example and renegotiate the directive.
Things are even more strained on the company side. Many employers have not yet defined their categories of work of equal value, a prerequisite for publishing any salary range. Others are realising they never formally structured their pay policy, and that the slightest report request would put them in a difficult position.
This is exactly the scenario Malik anticipated last year:
“The most important thing for companies is to anticipate. This needs to be seen as an opportunity and not as a huge risk. Get a clear understanding of what is coming, prepare accordingly, train HR teams, train managers, build pay grids, make them objective, explain clearly, communicate properly on how it was done and why it was done that way.”
The opportunity most companies will miss
Here is the point few analyses retain. The directive is presented as a constraint. It is in fact an employer brand accelerator for the companies that play the game early.
Malik summed it up on Canal Z:
“The companies that play the game, that show this transparency, that communicate around it, will boost their employability and will always be a hugely positive factor on the market.”
The numbers back him up: according to 2026 Belgian market data, more than 65% of candidates turn down an offer when they perceive a lack of transparency on compensation or the role. Conversely, companies that publish their salary ranges upfront receive on average more qualified applications and shorten their recruitment cycles.
And on the candidate side? Transparency radically shifts the balance in negotiation. You walk in with the range in front of you, you can no longer be benchmarked against your past salary, and you know what your peers earn within your category. For many, it is the first real negotiation on equal terms.
What to do before 7 June 2026
If you are a candidate, two reflexes to adopt right now:
- Prepare your next negotiation with objective data, not with your salary history. The Kingsley Salary Guides (Legal 2026 and Real Estate & Engineering 2026) remain the most detailed references on the Belgian and Luxembourg market.
- If you are asked for your current salary after 7 June, you will have the right not to answer. Be aware of it and prepare your wording.
If you are an employer, three priority projects:
- Map your categories of work of equal value. It is the foundation of everything else.
- Build objective salary grids with clear progression criteria.
- Train your managers to explain those grids. Raw transparency, without pedagogy, is what creates the most internal tension.
Want to talk about it?
At Kingsley, we have been supporting companies and candidates through these transitions for ten years, with sharp expertise across Real Estate & Engineering, Legal, Finance and HR. If you are looking for a new opportunity, let’s talk.