Proposed postponement of the Swedish implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive

In the legislative proposal referred to the Council on Legislation on 15 January 2026, the Government had proposed that the implementing legislation enter into force on 1 July 2026, with the first pay transparency reports to be submitted to the Equality Ombudsman (Sw. Diskrimineringsombudsmannen) by 20 May 2027.

Following feedback from employer organisations that the proposed timeline would create significant practical and administrative challenges, the Government now intends to propose a revised timetable:

• Entry into force of the new rules: 1 January 2027 (instead of 1 July 2026)
• First pay transparency reporting deadline: 20 May 2028 (instead of 20 May 2027)

According to the Government, the additional preparation time is intended to ensure that employers and labour market actors have better conditions to adapt to the new regulatory framework, while also helping to limit the administrative burden associated with the new reporting and transparency obligations.

At the same time, the Government emphasised that combating pay discrimination remains a key policy objective, highlighting the long-standing cooperation between the state and the social partners in reducing unjustified pay gaps in the Swedish labour market.

To support compliance with the new requirements, the Government has also decided to strengthen the funding of the Equality Ombudsman, increasing its administrative budget by SEK 25 million for 2026 and SEK 34 million annually from 2027 onwards.

Read the press release from the Government here.