New EU pay-transparency rules could let Norwegian workers request colleagues' salaries

Norway is moving to incorporate the EU's equal-pay directive into national law, which will allow workers to request the average earnings of colleagues in the same role, broken down by gender. Employers must also provide concrete, gender-neutral reasons—like qualifications or seniority—for any wage disparities. Labor attorney Helga Aune emphasizes that generic statements about employee ability will be inadequate under the new rules.

LO's specialist Linn Andersen argues the measures will give staff better safeguards during salary negotiations, whereas NHO's director Anne Louise Aartun Bye cautions that the requirement could increase administrative burdens and questions its effectiveness in promoting equality. The EU set a June 2026 deadline for member states, but Norway is not bound by it because the directive is not yet part of the EØS agreement.