“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies,” Joe Fox says in You’ve Got Mail.
And of course, who could forget When Harry Met Sally’s perfect ode to September weather, “not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.”
As the pumpkins appear on porches and lattes get their seasonal spice, legislatures are also settling back in after a slow August. In this month’s Legislative Lowdown, we’re raking through the latest pay transparency updates falling across the globe.
Massachusetts pay transparency law goes into effect on October 29
Leaves aren’t the only thing falling in Massachusetts this October — so are the days left to get ready for the state’s new pay transparency law, which takes effect October 29, 2025. Employers have a month to prepare before job postings must include pay ranges.
Who’s covered?
- Employers with 25 or more employees in Massachusetts
- Employees include full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers
- Employers must post a salary range for remote roles only if the primary work location is in Massachusetts
What employers need to do
- Job postings must include a good-faith pay range (salary/hourly rate) that reflects what the employer reasonably expects to pay at the time of the posting.
- Applicants and employee pay ranges must be shared when requested (current incumbent employees included), or when someone applies, is promoted/transferred.
- Commission or piece-rate roles employers must also disclose expected ranges for commission or piece-based pay.
- Employers with 100 or more employees who already file federal EEO reports must also submit those reports to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Penalties
- First violation: warning
- Second violation: up to $500 fine
- Third violation: up to $1,000 fine
- Subsequent violations: more severe penalties under state wage laws
Good news: until October 29, 2027, employers get a short 2-day “cure period” to fix defects after receiving notice from the Attorney General’s Office.
Need more information or have additional questions on Massachusetts pay transparency law? Aside from chatting with your legal counsel, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a great FAQ page. Check it out here.
Mind the pay gap — the UK Employment Rights Bill goes forward
The UK government’s latest amendments to the Employment Rights Bill (published on September 15, 2025) make one thing clear: pay transparency is no longer optional. From gender pay gap action plans to stronger protections around fair dismissal and zero-hours contracts, the reforms are designed to hard-wire equity into the workplace.
For employers, this means the time to review contracts, scheduling, and pay policies isn’t 2026 when most measures come into effect — it's now.
Key updates employers should note
- Pay transparency: employers will need to create action plans to close gender pay gaps and provide more support for staff through menopause.
- Day-one rights: protection against unfair dismissal will begin from day one of employment (subject to probation).
- Zero-hours contracts: workers will gain rights to guaranteed hours and fair notice on shifts, reducing last-minute cancellations.
- Enforcement: a new Fair Work Agency will have powers to investigate abuses, enforce pay and holiday rules, and issue penalties.
- Sector focus: Fair Pay Agreements will first roll out in adult social care, with potential expansion later.
TL;dr: businesses that get ahead now by updating contracts, improving scheduling, and aligning pay practices with transparency standards will be in a stronger position. Those that wait until 2026 risk compliance headaches, reputational damage, and tribunal exposure.
The full government overview is here: Employment Rights Bill Overview.
Pastizzi and pay transparency: Malta's new pay transparency directive
Beginning August 27, 2025, Malta will require pay transparency in recruitment, as Legal Notice 112 of 2025 reshapes the “Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions” rules.
Employers will be required to disclose the starting pay or pay range, along with any relevant collective agreement terms, before a candidate accepts a role. No more walking into a job without knowing what your pay will look like.
The reforms don’t stop there. Once hired, employees will be able to request written confirmation of their own pay and the average pay of others in the same role. Employers will have two months to respond.
For now, the rules don't stretch to comparisons across "work of equal value," but that's expected as Malta aligns with the broader EU Pay Transparency Directive requirements.
This is Malta's first real step into pay reporting, something already familiar to other EU member states.
Until now, there were no legal obligations for Maltese companies to disclose gender pay gap reporting, even though Malta sits below the EU average with a gender pay gap of about 5.1%.
Still, that smaller gap doesn’t mean Malta can afford to sit back and wait. These reforms are about building transparency into the system before disparities widen.
This is only the beginning in Malta. Further reforms to comply with the EU Pay Transparency Directive will be needed, including comparisons across “work of equal value” and stricter reporting duties.
In short: Malta is moving early, and employers should act now to update recruitment processes, job ads, pay bands, and internal policies to stay ahead of the curve.
The Netherlands hits pause on pay transparency
The Netherlands has pumped the brakes on rolling out the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Originally set to take effect on June 7, 2026, the Dutch government has pushed implementation back to January 1, 2027, a six-month delay.
The reason? Political shifts. Earlier this summer, the Dutch government dissolved, leaving the country in caretaker mode. With no majority in place to drive legislation forward, several priorities stalled, and pay transparency was one of the casualties.
Under the revised timeline, large employers (150+ employees) will publish their first gender pay gap reports using date from 2027, rather than 2026. Meanwhile, the rules for smaller employers (100-149 employees) remain unchanged. The Netherlands is also planning to tweak parts of the EU obligations, such as adjustments to reporting timelines and thresholds.
In short: the Netherlands’ delay is a reminder that even nations already drafting pay transparency legislation can face legislative slowdowns.
That’s a wrap, for now!
But one more thing…
At Payscale, we know that meeting new transparency requirements can feel complex, especially for organizations operating globally.
That’s why we are excited to announce our new partnership with Trusaic, bringing together powerful compensation analytics with deep compliance expertise.
Together, we will help our customers not only stay ahead of global pay transparency regulations but also build fairer workplaces.
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