Despite increasing pressure from campaigners and shifts in legislation in other countries, job applicants in the UK can still be asked about their current salary during interviews. Advocacy organisations and some recruiters have called for this practice to stop, but the UK has not yet updated its laws on the subject, leaving candidates in a potentially uncomfortable situation.
UK Employers Can Legally Ask About Salary History
In the UK, employers remain within their rights to request details of an applicant’s current or prior salary during the recruitment process, and there is no legal obligation for candidates to answer. This approach stands in contrast to the new European Union rules that will bar employers from asking for salary history at any stage of hiring.
The conversation around salary history disclosures grew louder after the launch of campaigns such as #EndSalaryHistory, where activists encouraged companies to break from the tradition of referencing past pay. The Fawcett Society is among those voicing concern that inquiring about pay history contributes to persistent wage disparities involving race, disability, and gender.
Industry organisations like the Recruitment and Employment Confederation have publicly supported a shift in hiring focus from prior pay towards what skills and experience an applicant offers. Still, instead of imposing a legal ban on pay history questions, the UK Cabinet Office has promoted initiatives urging businesses to publish salary information in job adverts.
Safeguards Against Discrimination
UK laws on equality prohibit discrimination against job applicants based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Nevertheless, current regulations do not contain explicit provisions prohibiting questions about pay history, a position clarified by advisory body Acas.
Senior adviser Louise Rudd from Acas recommends that employers who decide to include pay questions should do so consistently with every candidate to ensure everyone is treated fairly.
Experts such as Rudd underscore that, even if salary history comes up in an interview, there is no requirement for applicants to disclose those details. Campaigners advocate that job offers should be based on the individual’s abilities, experience, and expected contribution, not on previous earnings or negotiation skills.
Recommended Ways to Deal With Salary Questions
When confronted with salary queries, candidates have several options. Acas notes they can either reveal their pay details or choose not to share them at all. Alternatively, applicants sometimes opt to give their desired salary or respond by referencing advertised pay bands.
Shazia Ejaz, campaigns director at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, suggests that jobseekers handle pay discussions with confidence and realistic expectations. She encourages applicants to emphasise the unique skills and accomplishments they bring as the foundation for negotiating salary.
Ejaz said, “Candidates can focus on showcasing the value they bring, the benefits that matter most to them, and to go to the interview knowing the market rate for the role. Jobseekers who have done their homework on salaries and can explain the contribution they will make are in the strongest position to secure the right package.”
Though some candidates have fabricated higher previous salaries in hopes of improving an offer, experts caution that dishonesty during the interview process may have serious consequences and ultimately isn’t advisable.
Ongoing Debate About Reform
As the European Union prepares to ban pay history questions, the conversation in the UK about transparency and fairness in hiring remains active. Until there are further changes, job applicants are advised to research industry pay and approach interviews highlighting their capabilities and what they can contribute to the role, rather than focusing solely on previous earnings.