Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the most common objections and questions about EU Directive 2023/970 and the Romanian transposition law.
Do I have to publish every employee's salary?
No. The Directive requires transparency about criteria, pay ranges, and access to information on request — not the publication of individual employees' salaries. What must be communicated: the pay range at recruitment (Art. 5), the criteria for setting and progressing pay (Art. 6), and aggregated reporting results for companies above the threshold (Art. 9) — never individual data.
What happens if I don't report on time?
The Romanian transposition law, in its current form (a bill, not an adopted law), provides for penalties structured on two tiers — see the "Penalties" page. The exact figures may change before the final form is adopted.
Does this also apply to companies with foreign capital or headquartered in another EU state?
Yes. The Directive applies to all public- and private-sector employers operating within the territory of an EU member state, regardless of where the parent company's capital or headquarters are registered (Art. 2).
What's the difference between the EU Directive and the Romanian law — which one applies right now?
The Directive (EU) 2023/970 is the legal act at EU level, adopted in May 2023. It doesn't apply directly in Romania — each member state must transpose it into national law. The Romanian law (Bill L445/2026) is still going through parliamentary procedure and has not been adopted — according to the Ministry of Labour, until adoption, the obligations established do not yet produce effects for employers in Romania.
What exactly does "work of equal value" mean?
It doesn't mean "the same job title." The Directive (Art. 4) requires work to be evaluated on the basis of objective, gender-neutral criteria — at minimum, skills, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. Two employees with different job titles can be doing "work of equal value" if their scores on these criteria are comparable.
I have fewer than 50 employees — do I really need to do anything now?
The Romanian law has not been adopted yet, so no obligation currently produces legal effects. But the articles that don't depend on a headcount threshold (Art. 4–8: fair job evaluation, transparency in recruitment, information on request) will also apply to small companies once the law is adopted — see the "Obligations by company size" page.