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Slovakia: pay range before the interview and the two-month answer (Act 76/2026)

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By Bandplain · Last verified: 2026-10-04 · Rule pack 2026-10 · Information, not legal advice

In short. Slovakia's Act No. 76/2026 Coll. on equal pay for women and men, effective 7 June 2026, gives applicants the right to the starting pay or pay range before the job interview or before the contract is concluded. It bars employers from requiring applicants to disclose their pay at their current or previous employers, and requires employers to answer workers' pay-information requests in writing within two months. Pay reports go to the Labour Ministry; the first report for employers with 150 or more employees is due by 7 June 2027, under a transitional rule that differs from the regular 15 April date. The text we read does not require the range in the ad. (Source: https://static.slov-lex.sk/static/SK/ZZ/2026/76/20260607.html, opened 2026-10-04.)

Who this applies to

Question Answer Source
Law Zákon č. 76/2026 Z. z. o rovnakej odmene žien a mužov (15 April 2026) see Sources
Effective 7 June 2026 see Sources
Pay structures Employers that existed before 7 June 2026 had to comply with the pay-structure requirements by 31 July 2026 (§ 3, § 18(1)) see Sources
Size Pre-employment and information duties: no size floor found. Pay-increase criteria: employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt (§ 5(3)). Reports: 100 or more see Sources

What to disclose about pay, and when

Moment What the employer gives Source
Before the interview, or before the contract is concluded The starting pay or pay range, and the collective-agreement terms on pay, in time for an informed negotiation § 4(2)-(3)
In the ad Not required by the text we read see Sources
Offers and ads Gender-neutral § 4(1)

Salary-history questions

Employers may not require an applicant to give information about her or his pay at current or previous employers (§ 4(4)). In practice, do not ask candidates what they earn or earned. Source: listed at the end of this guide.

Pay-information requests from employees

Item Rule Source
Form and deadline Written; answer within two months of the request § 6(2)
Annual notice Workers are informed each year § 6
Average pay by sex Provided for the first time for the year 2027 (§ 18(2)); no average-by-sex figures are owed for 2026. Whether requests made during 2027 can wait until the 2027 data are complete needs professional review see Sources

Criteria

Criteria for pay and pay increases must be accessible (§ 5). Employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from the pay-increase criteria (§ 5(3)). Source: listed at the end of this guide.

Reporting thresholds and dates

Employees Regular rule Transitional first report Source
250 or more Every year, by 15 April of the following year 150 or more: first report by 7 June 2027, covering 1 Aug to 31 Dec 2026 § 8, § 18(3)
100 to 249 Every 3 years, by 15 April 100 to 149: first report by 7 June 2031, covering 2030 § 8, § 18(4)
Under 100 Voluntary see Sources

Reports go to the Labour Ministry. This deviates from the directive calendar: the regular deadline is 15 April, not 7 June . A joint pay assessment applies at a gap of at least 5% that is unjustified and not remedied within 6 months (§ 9; Directive Art. 10(1), see Sources).

Penalties (only the verified one)

If a report is not filed, the ministry sets a cure period of at least 15 days; then a fine of EUR 4,000 to EUR 8,000 may be imposed within 2 years (§ 16). Penalties for other breaches (job ads, pay history, information) were not found in § 16 and may sit in labour-inspection law; we state none. Source: listed at the end of this guide.

What is not yet settled (as of 2026-10-04)

  1. Average-by-sex answers. Under § 18(2) the information is first given for the year 2027; whether requests made during 2027 can wait until the 2027 data are complete needs professional review.
  2. Penalties beyond non-filing. Not found; open item.

Checklist

  • A range or starting pay is given in writing before the interview, or before the contract if there is no interview.
  • The collective-agreement pay terms are included if one applies.
  • Nobody asks candidates what they earn or earned at current or previous employers.
  • Pay-request log: answer in writing within two months.
  • Workers are informed of the right once a year.
  • Pay structures documented (if you existed before 7 June 2026, the date was 31 July 2026).
  • You know your headcount band; if 150 or more, plan the first report (1 Aug to 31 Dec 2026) by 7 June 2027.
  • A Slovak employment adviser has reviewed the process.

FAQ

Must the pay range be in the ad in Slovakia? The text we read does not require it; it must be given before the interview or before the contract is concluded (§ 4(3)).

How long to answer an employee? In writing, within two months (§ 6(2)).

When is the first pay report due? For employers with 150 or more employees, by 7 June 2027, covering 1 Aug to 31 Dec 2026; for 100 to 149, by 7 June 2031, covering 2030 (§ 18(3)-(4)).

Why 15 April? It is the regular deadline in the Act for annual and three-yearly reports; the first reports follow the transitional dates (§ 8).

Is there a fine? For not filing a required report, after a cure period of at least 15 days, EUR 4,000 to EUR 8,000 (§ 16). Other penalties were not found.

Sources (all opened 2026-10-04)

Update log

  • 2026-10-04: first draft. Next scheduled review: 2 November 2026. Later 2026-10-04: corrections from docs/compliance/review-guides-2026-10-04.md applied.