UK Job Applicants Not Required to Share Current Salary, Advisers Say

A UK job applicant is not legally required to disclose a current or previous salary to an interviewer, even if the employer asks, according to Louise Rudd, a senior adviser at the workplace advice service Acas, speaking to the BBC on October 5, 2026.

Can a UK employer legally ask about current pay?

Yes. Rudd told the BBC there are no UK regulations that prevent employers from asking interviewees about their current salary or salary expectations. She added that employers who do ask should pose the same questions to every applicant to ensure candidates are treated fairly. The question is common enough that BBC News found Londoners out on the street still bracing for it — some said they would consider inflating their current pay to negotiate a higher offer, though the outlet notes the risk of being caught lying in an interview can outweigh any short-term gain.

Why do campaigners want the question retired?

A campaign called #EndSalaryHistory has urged employers for several years to drop the question entirely. The Fawcett Society, which campaigns on gender and workplace equality, argues that asking about salary history risks locking in existing pay gaps tied to gender, race and disability, because it lets past pay — not current skills or performance — set the next offer. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has backed that push, urging recruiters to stop asking.

"Candidates can focus on showcasing the value they bring, the benefits that matter most to them and to go to the interview knowing the market rate for the role," said Shazia Ejaz, director of campaigns at the REC.

What is changing in the EU but not the UK?

Employers across the European Union will be banned outright from asking about salary history under new rules being rolled out across the bloc, the BBC reports. The UK's Cabinet Office has not adopted a parallel ban; its current plans instead focus on requiring employers to publish salary information in job adverts, rather than restricting what interviewers can ask.

What should a candidate say instead?

Rudd suggests candidates who would rather not reveal their current pay can offer their salary expectations or describe their understanding of the role's pay range instead of a direct figure. Ejaz advises approaching the topic with "realism but also confidence," and recommends candidates research the market rate for the role beforehand so they can anchor the conversation in the value of the job itself rather than a past paycheck. "Jobseekers who have done their homework on salaries and can explain the contribution they will make are in the strongest position," she told the BBC.

Quick reference

• #EndSalaryHistory — a UK campaign urging employers to stop asking applicants for prior pay.
• Acas — the UK's Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, a workplace advice body.
• REC — the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, a trade body for UK staffing firms.
• Salary expectations — the pay range a candidate states they are seeking, as distinct from disclosing current or past pay.

The original BBC report is available at bbc.co.uk.