Scaffolding employers face a change to recruitment advertising after the government confirmed plans to require salaries in job adverts.
The proposed “say what you pay” legislation was announced on 5 November. Ministers have yet to set out the final scope, enforcement arrangements or an implementation date.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged businesses to start publishing pay information before the legislation reaches the statute book.
He said: “You should know what a job pays before spending your time and effort applying for it.”
Details still to be settled
The government’s earlier equal pay consultation, covering England, Scotland and Wales, proposed disclosure by all employers. Where a role was not advertised, candidates would receive pay information in writing before interview.
That consultation left open whether employers should publish a specific salary, a range or a benchmark rate. It also sought views on which other conditions or financial benefits should be included, with detailed requirements to be set through regulations.
Those distinctions matter for scaffolding recruitment. An advertised hourly rate tells a candidate relatively little about total earnings unless the hours and any overtime arrangements are clear. Travel allowances and the basis of engagement can also affect how applicants compare offers.
The final rules will need checking before employers can determine how they apply to particular vacancies, agency arrangements or self-employed engagements. The announcement does not establish a compliance deadline.
Support for disclosure
Early government analysis found 94% of consultation respondents supported the requirement, including 93% of business respondents. These are consultation findings, rather than a survey of every employer.
The announcement cites CIPD research from 2024 showing 41% of employers always publish salary ranges and 18% always publish specific salaries.
For contractors, publishing a clear rate or pay range can help applicants decide whether a vacancy is worth pursuing before either side commits time to an interview. Employers will also need to consider how advertised pay compares with existing staff doing equivalent work.
The government says it will bring forward legislation as soon as possible. Further details on what employers must disclose, and when the requirement will take effect, are still to come.
