Last updated 2025-08-22
Quick overview
Latvia currently has limited gender pay transparency obligations. Reporting is mandatory only for public-sector employers, while private companies have no such duties yet.
As an EU Member State, Latvia must implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive (EUPTD) into national law by June 7, 2026. Once in force, these rules will create significant new reporting and disclosure duties for private-sector employers.
Reporting requirements
Which companies must report?
At present, only the public sector is covered.
Government institutions must report employee remuneration data to the Ministry of Finance.
Private-sector companies have no obligation to report pay equity data.
What information needs to be reported?
Public-sector reporting includes basic remuneration data for officials and employees, submitted to a centralized Remuneration Registration System managed by the Ministry of Finance.
When and where to send the data?
Public-sector employers must submit data to the Ministry of Finance according to its specified reporting timelines.
There are no reporting obligations or systems in place for private-sector employers yet.
Who can see the results?
Public-sector remuneration data is maintained in a government system.
Private-sector information is not reported or disclosed publicly under current law.
Equal pay laws
Latvia’s Labour Law (Section 60) guarantees the principle of equal pay for the same or equivalent work, without discrimination based on gender or other characteristics.
For the public sector, the Law on Remuneration of Officials and Employees of State and Local Government Authorities establishes centralized oversight of pay and benefits.
Employee rights
Employees currently have the legal right to:
Receive equal pay for the same or equivalent work.
Challenge unequal pay practices under anti-discrimination provisions.
However, employees do not yet have rights to request pay level data or pay-setting criteria from their employers unless they work in the public sector.
Risks of non-compliance
Public sector: There are no formal sanctions for failure to report, although failure to comply may trigger administrative follow-ups.
Private sector: No reporting or transparency obligations currently exist, so there are no compliance risks at this stage.
What will change by 2026
New EU-wide rules
Under the EU Pay Transparency Directive, employers will have to implement significant changes. Key obligations include:
Reporting gender pay gap data if employing 100 or more workers.
Disclosing salary ranges in job ads or providing them before interviews.
Banning salary history questions during recruitment.
Providing information to employees on pay levels and progression criteria.
Conducting joint pay assessments with worker representatives if unjustified gaps of 5% or more persist within a category for six months.
Reporting timelines will phase in:
250+ employees: annual reporting starting 2027 (for 2026 data).
150–249 employees: triennial reporting starting 2027.
100–149 employees: triennial reporting starting 2031.
How Latvia is likely to apply them
Although draft legislation has not been published, Latvia will need to:
Designate a regulatory body to collect and oversee pay gap reports.
Establish reporting templates and disclosure mechanisms for employers.
Introduce penalties for non-compliance, aligned with EU rules.
FAQ
Do private-sector employers need to report now?
No. Only public-sector employers must currently report remuneration data.
When will private-sector reporting start?
Likely in 2027 for companies with 150 or more employees, with smaller employers phased in later.
Will employees gain new rights?
Yes. Employees will have the right to request pay criteria, salary ranges, and average gender pay data for equivalent roles once the EU rules are in force.
What happens if a pay gap is found?
Employers will need to collaborate with worker representatives to analyze and address unjustified gaps of 5% or more.
Helpful resources
Ministry of Finance – Remuneration Registration System (for public-sector employers)
Latvia Labour Law and related employment legislation
