Article 7(3) of Directive (EU) 2023/970
The yearly notice of the right to pay information
Every year, employers tell all workers that they can ask for their pay level and the average pay of women and men doing the same work, and how to ask. Here is that notice for your country, ready to fill in.
- Preview free; full notice in Pro
- English, German and Dutch
- Rules checked on 8 October 2026
The preview shows the opening. The full notice, with the steps to ask, the deadline and the protections, in English, German or Dutch as PDF and text, is part of Pro: $99 once, per organisation, with the answer tool.
What the notice covers
The right. Workers can ask for, and receive in writing, their own pay level and the average pay levels, by sex, for their category of workers (Article 7(1)). The notice tells them so every year, with the steps to use it (Article 7(3)).
The steps. Where to send the request, that no reason is needed, the routes through workers' representatives or an equality body (Article 7(2)), the deadline (two months at most under Article 7(4), eight days in Malta) and the right to ask for clarification.
The protections. Workers may disclose their own pay to enforce equal pay (Article 7(5)), may use what they learn about colleagues only for that (Article 7(6)), and are not to be treated less favourably for using these rights (Article 25).
When to send it
Once a year. The directive sets no date or channel. A dated email to all staff, or a notice on the intranet, with a copy kept, gives you a record of it.
National rules that already require the notice: Malta (regulation 6(6) of L.N. 173 of 2026), Italy (Article 7(4) of Legislative Decree No. 96/2026), Slovakia (section 6(5) of Act No. 76/2026, once a year), Greece from 1 November 2026 (Article 56A(3) of the Labour Law Code) and Flemish public employers (Article 6 of the decree of 12 June 2026). The Dutch bill has the same duty in its Article 10b(4).
Germany's current Pay Transparency Act does not require a yearly notice of the right; the notice for Germany therefore refers to the directive and adds the § 10 EntgTranspG route for establishments with more than 200 employees.
Questions
Do small employers have to send the notice?
Yes. Article 7(3) applies to every employer, whatever its size, once national law brings it in. Malta, Italy, Slovakia, Greece (from 1 November 2026) and the Flemish decree already require it.
Is there a set date for it?
No. The directive says annually and sets no date or channel. Slovakia's law says once a year. Pick a date you can keep, for example the start of each year, and keep a copy of what you sent.
What must the notice say?
That workers have the right to receive the information of Article 7(1), their own pay level and the average pay levels by sex for their category, and the steps they take to use it (Article 7(3)). The template adds the deadline, the routes through representatives or an equality body, and the protection against less favourable treatment.