Finland had not yet completed final enactment of Directive (EU) 2023/970 by 3 October 2026, but its implementation process was well advanced. The government submitted HE 129/2026 to Parliament on 9 July 2026. The proposal would amend the Act on Equality between Women and Men and several related statutes to strengthen pay transparency and equal-pay enforcement. Government material states that the changes are intended to enter into force on 1 January 2027. Parliamentary records still listed HE 129/2026 as under consideration in early October, so employers should prepare for the proposed January start while continuing to monitor amendments and final enactment.
Jurisdiction: Finland
Finland Submitted HE 129/2026 After the EU Deadline
The Finnish government submitted its national implementation package to Parliament on 9 July 2026, after the Directive's 7 June transposition deadline. The bill is identified as HE 129/2026 vp. Rather than creating a single standalone Pay Transparency Act, the proposal would amend the Act on Equality between Women and Men and several related statutes. This legislative structure means employers will need to understand how new transparency rules fit into Finland's existing equality framework rather than treating the Directive as an entirely separate compliance system.
The Proposed Start Date Is 1 January 2027
Government material published with the proposal states that the amendments are intended to enter into force on 1 January 2027. As of 3 October 2026, parliamentary records still showed HE 129/2026 under consideration, so the date should be treated as the proposed commencement date rather than an accomplished legal fact. Employers should nevertheless use it as a planning milestone because recruitment practices, job-evaluation frameworks, worker information processes and pay-data systems can require several months of preparation.
Employee Access to Group-Level Pay Information Is Central
The Finnish government highlighted a proposed employee right to obtain information about average pay levels for a worker group performing the same work or work of equal value. That reflects one of the Directive's central mechanisms: workers need enough information to identify potential unequal pay without requiring disclosure of every colleague's individual salary. Employers should therefore prepare to define defensible comparable worker groups, maintain reliable pay data and create a controlled process for answering information requests while respecting data-protection requirements.
The Bill Extends Beyond the Equality Act Alone
HE 129/2026 is designed to amend several laws, including legislation concerning the Equality Ombudsman, the income information system, Statistics Finland and enforcement of fines. That breadth signals that implementation is not only an HR-policy project. It also affects institutional supervision, data flows and enforcement. Employers should monitor secondary guidance carefully because some operational details may depend on how authorities use national registers, statistical data and supervisory powers after enactment.
Finland Already Has an Established Equal-Pay Framework
Finland is not starting from zero. Its Equality Act already contains duties connected with gender equality and equal pay, and Finnish employers are familiar with equality planning and pay surveys in defined circumstances. The Directive implementation package is therefore best understood as strengthening transparency, worker access to information and enforcement within an existing system. Employers should map which current equality-plan and pay-survey processes can be reused and where the new EU-driven requirements demand additional data, broader categories or new response procedures.
What Finnish Employers Should Do Now
Finnish employers should review HE 129/2026, prepare for a possible 1 January 2027 start and maintain a change log until final enactment. Practical work includes checking job-evaluation methods, documenting objective pay criteria, reviewing recruitment pay-range practices, mapping employee information requests and ensuring pay data can support comparisons by sex and worker category. The final parliamentary text, any implementation regulations and guidance from the Ministry or Equality Ombudsman should be treated as the controlling sources once available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Finland fully implemented the EU Pay Transparency Directive?
Not yet as of 3 October 2026. Government Proposal HE 129/2026 was still under parliamentary consideration.
When are Finland's proposed pay transparency changes intended to start?
The government proposal states that the amendments are intended to enter into force on 1 January 2027.
What is one major proposed employee right in Finland?
The government proposal would strengthen the right to obtain information on average pay levels for groups of workers performing the same work or work of equal value.
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Requirements and practices differ by jurisdiction and organisation. Check current local law, official guidance and professional advice for a specific situation.