EU Pay Transparency Directive Status Latvia: Deadline Missed, In Parliament
Latvia moved further and faster than most member states in drafting its transposition, publishing a standalone Pay Transparency Law for public consultation on 26 March 2026, with the consultation period closing on 9 April 2026. The draft then passed to the Cabinet of Ministers and on to the Saeima for parliamentary consideration. Despite this early start, available research through July 2026 does not confirm that the Saeima had adopted the law, and Latvia is listed among the member states that missed the 7 June 2026 deadline. As of early August 2026, it remains unclear exactly where the bill stands in the Saeima's reading process or when it will be finally adopted, so the obligations below reflect the draft text as published rather than confirmed law; employers should treat specific thresholds and mechanics as likely but not yet certain until the Saeima passes a final version.
What is Pay Transparency, and who does it apply to?
The EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970) is a binding EU law requiring pay equity for equal work between women and men. It introduces mandatory rules around salary disclosure, pay gap reporting, and worker rights.
Latvia's existing pay equality protection comes from the Labour Law (Darba likums), in effect since 1 June 2002, whose Section 60 requires equal remuneration for men and women performing the same work or work of equal value. Latvia published a standalone draft Pay Transparency Law in March 2026 that was intended to fully transpose the EU Directive, and the bill moved through public consultation and the Cabinet of Ministers to the Saeima, but it had not been confirmed as adopted by the 7 June 2026 EU deadline. As of early August 2026, Latvia's transposition remains in the parliamentary process rather than finalized law.
Today, Latvia's Section 60 equal pay duty covers all employers regardless of size, and only the public sector currently reports compensation data; once adopted, the draft law's gender pay gap reporting duties are expected to phase in starting at 100 employees, with stricter job-ad disclosure rules proposed to apply to employers of all sizes.
What employers must do in Latvia
All employers, under current Latvian law
- Provide equal remuneration for men and women performing the same work or work of equal value under Section 60 of the Labour Law
- Refrain from gender-based pay discrimination under the Labour Law's anti-discrimination provisions
Public sector employers, under current practice
- Submit compensation data to the Ministry of Finance, regardless of size
All employers, under the draft Pay Transparency Law (not yet adopted)
- Disclose a pay range or, alternatively, a gross salary or hourly rate, directly within job advertisements rather than only before interview
- Refrain from asking about salary history
- Provide employee-requested pay information under a narrower definition of pay than the EU Directive's baseline
Employers with 100 to 149 employees, under the draft law (not yet adopted)
- Report gender pay gap data every 3 years, expected first report around 7 June 2031
Employers with 150 or more employees, under the draft law (not yet adopted)
- Report gender pay gap data, expected first report around 7 June 2027, with a proposed annual reporting deadline shifted to 1 June for the largest employers
Key deadlines
Penalties for non-compliance in Latvia
No pay-transparency-specific fine schedule is yet codified in Latvia; the draft law would introduce penalties for non-compliance, but specific amounts have not been finalized or confirmed in the version considered by the Saeima.
The State Labour Inspectorate (Valsts darba inspekcija), operating under the Ministry of Welfare, is expected to enforce the new rules, consistent with its existing role handling Labour Law discrimination and equal pay complaints.
How TalentUp can help you with Pay Transparency Compliance
Below you can see a preview of our platform, where we help you stay compliant with Pay Transparency by spotting pay inconsistencies and structural risks in your compensation strategy, analysing data from your company.
Book a demo| Name | Level | Location | Salary | Labels | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
John Doe
Software Developer
|
Mid
|
Riga
Latvia
|
32500 EUR
Above market
|
Unbalanced
|
|
|
Jane Smith
Project Manager
|
Senior
|
Riga
Latvia
|
45000 EUR
Above market
|
In Market
|
|
|
Michael Brown
Data Analyst
|
Mid
|
Daugavpils
Latvia
|
39000 EUR
Above market
|
In Market
|
|
|
Emily Johnson
QA Engineer
|
Mid
|
Daugavpils
Latvia
|
36000 EUR
Above market
|
In Market
|
|
|
Robert Wilson
HR Manager
|
Senior
|
Liepaja
Latvia
|
50000 EUR
Above market
|
Above Market
|
|
|
Sarah Davis
Marketing Specialist
|
Junior
|
Liepaja
Latvia
|
34000 EUR
In market
|
In Market
|
MEAN PAY
39.4K EUR
MEDIAN PAY
37.5K EUR
MEAN FEMALE PAY
38.3K EUR
MEDIAN FEMALE PAY
36K EUR
MEAN MALE PAY
40.5K EUR
MEDIAN MALE PAY
39K EUR
Gender gap
Variable pay by gender
General gender pay gap
Pay gap insights
Add employee data to see pay gap insights
Tenure distribution
Pay gap per level (quartiles)
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Frequently asked questions about pay transparency in Latvia
No. Although Latvia published a draft early and moved it through consultation and the Cabinet of Ministers, the Saeima had not confirmed adoption by the 7 June 2026 EU deadline, so Latvia missed the deadline despite an early start.