Skip to content As of 7 June 2026, Bulgaria has introduced significant amendments to the national legal framework on employment and discrimination. These legislative changes are intended to implement the requirements set out in Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency. Namely, the Bulgarian Government has adopted various amendments to the framework provided by the Commission for Protection Against Discrimination. These provisions aim at fostering the principle of equal pay between genders, as well as pay transparency across workplaces. In this article, the content of the Bulgarian transposition will be explored.
Information disclosure on salary
First, employees will be entitled to request detailed information regarding average pay levels applicable to their position and gender. Such requests must be submitted in writing to the employer. Upon receipt of the request, employers will be required to provide a written response within two months. The written report must include details concerning the employee’s salary and the average remuneration of workers performing the same job.
Enhanced protection of personal data
Secondly, the Bulgarian transposition aims at strengthening the protection of employees’ personal data. In other words, in the event that disclosure of salary information reveals the exact remuneration of another employee, additional measures will apply. In such cases, the employer can communicate the datum to specific organizations, such as trade unions or anti-discrimination authorities. These organizations will subsequently provide the employee with the required data, as well as possible legal remedies to discriminatory treatment.
Additional reporting obligations for employers
The newly introduced rules establish further reporting obligations for companies. Specifically, employers will have to submit reports on gender pay differences annually. Firms with more than 250 employees shall begin to report in June 2027. Conversely, businesses employing between 100 and 249 workers are required to report every three years, starting from June 2031. In any case, should unjustified salary gaps emerge, employers will be obliged to conduct joint pay assessments with their employees.
Conclusions
In 2024, gender pay gap in Bulgaria stood at approximately 12%, thus above the EU average of 11.1%. The punctual changes implemented to the normative may constitute a prompt response to the EU call for greater pay transparency. At the same time, they demonstrate Bulgaria’s commitment to promoting more equal working conditions. Accordingly, affected organizations should review their existing remuneration policies and reporting processes to ensure compliance with the forthcoming obligations.