Latest news and stories about salary transparency in work in Portugal for expats and residents.
Portugal missed the June 7 deadline to transpose new European salary transparency rules, but the government is preparing a proposal for Parliament. Experts from the training consultancy Cegoc warn that these regulations will have a significant cultural impact on how companies manage and disclose wages.
A new government bill proposes that companies must disclose salary information to candidates by the time a contract is signed. The legislation also allows employees to request information regarding the salaries of colleagues performing the same functions, while introducing protections against workplace retaliation for those exercising these rights.
Salary transparency (transparência salarial) is the practice of disclosing pay ranges in job advertisements to help candidates understand potential earnings before applying. While European Union directives aim to standardize this across member states to reduce pay gaps, recent legislative discussions in Portugal have introduced uncertainty regarding whether companies must include these figures in all public job postings.
The government led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has decided not to require companies to disclose salary offers directly in job advertisements. While the European directive on pay transparency allowed for such a requirement, the upcoming national transposition will not include this provision. The government is instead focusing on strengthening sanctions for companies that maintain wage inequalities.
The European Commission is reviewing Portugal's implementation of the new European Pay Transparency Directive and may initiate infringement proceedings for non-compliance. The directive requires companies to justify salary criteria, moving away from traditional pay models based on negotiation or personal favoritism.
The European Union is introducing mandatory salary transparency rules starting June 7, requiring companies to provide clearer information on remuneration policies. Member states must incorporate these directives into domestic law to help reduce wage inequalities, though the rules have yet to be transposed into Portuguese legislation.
Groups led by the Movimento Democrático de Mulheres are staging demonstrations in 16 cities demanding equality, dignity, better wages and improved public services, while the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) is holding exhibitions, talks and concerts from 9–14 March to mark International Women's Day. Expresso notes the EU pay-transparency directive, to be transposed by June, could force more employer reporting and help expose wage gaps. Those attending public events should check local routes and schedules for marches and parliamentary exhibitions.
The Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) is Portugal's unicameral parliament, located in the Palácio de São Bento in Lisbon. It consists of 230 deputies elected by proportional representation for four-year terms.
The Assembly's powers include making and amending laws, approving the state budget, ratifying international treaties, and overseeing the government through debates, hearings, and committees. It can also pass votes of no confidence to bring down a government, as happened in March 2025.
Following the May 2025 elections, the current parliamentary composition is led by the Democratic Alliance (AD) with the largest share of seats, followed by Chega, PS, and smaller parties including the Liberal Initiative, Left Bloc, Livre, and PCP.
