France to present pay transparency bill on September 9

French Labor Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou has announced that a bill regarding pay transparency will be presented to the Council of Ministers on September 9. The legislation aims to transpose a 2023 European directive designed to close the gender pay gap by requiring companies to justify salary differences between men and women performing work of equal value.

The proposed law includes several key provisions: employers will be required to include salary ranges in job offers, and employees will gain the right to access information regarding the pay levels of colleagues in equivalent positions, broken down by gender.

France missed the initial June 7 deadline for transposing the European directive due to disagreements between unions and employers, as well as a crowded parliamentary schedule. While the announcement was welcomed by the CFDT union, labor representatives continue to push for ambitious implementation to address ongoing wage disparities.