Question and answer
Can an employer ask about my salary history?
In short
No. Art. 5(2) of the Directive prohibits employers from asking applicants about their pay in current or previous employment relationships — in interviews, in forms, anywhere in the hiring process. Asking about your salary expectations remains allowed.
In detail
The ban exists because anchoring offers to past pay imports historical discrimination into every new contract — it is one of the mechanisms that keeps the gap alive.
If an application form or recruiter asks for your current salary or a payslip, that is precisely what the Directive prohibits.
The distinction that matters: "what do you earn now?" is banned; "what are your expectations?" is fine.
More questions with direct answers: the FAQ.