Estonia
Pay Transparency Directive
Impact date: 13 July 2026 Some elements of the EU Pay Transparency Directive have been transposed into national law with effect from 13 July 2026. These include:
- a requirement for employers to inform applicants of the applicable pay or pay range before the job interview, in a format reproducible in writing
- a prohibition on requesting information about an applicant’s current or previous pay
- a requirement that employers must not prevent employees from disclosing the amount of their own remuneration
The amendments also clarify the principle of equal pay.
Employer implications/action needed Employers should review their recruitment practices, job advertisements and employment contract templates to ensure compliance with the new pay-transparency requirements.
Employer risk Non-compliance may result in labor-law claims, including potential liability for unequal pay.
Link Amended law
Amendment to the Employment Contracts Act
Impact date: 1 October 2026 A person who is the child’s actual caregiver may take parental leave without complying with the usual 30-calendar-day notice period where, having regard to the circumstances, compliance with the notice period cannot reasonably be expected.
Employer implications/action needed Take note of the possibility of exception for parental leave notice period.
Employer risk N/A
Link Amended law (in Estonian)
Amendment to the Occupational Health and Safety Act
Impact date: Pending The draft legislation would establish a legal basis for employers to test whether an employee is under the influence of alcohol, narcotic drugs, toxic substances or psychotropic substances. Testing would be permitted where there is a reasonable suspicion of impairment and, in certain safety-critical roles, also without such suspicion.
Employers wishing to conduct testing would need to establish an internal testing procedure setting out, among other things, the grounds and methods for testing, the consequences of a positive result or refusal to undergo testing, and the procedure for documenting and challenging test results.
The draft would also reduce certain administrative obligations. For example, employers with fewer than ten employees would no longer be required to submit a workplace risk assessment through the Labor Inspectorate’s self-service portal or arrange an occupational health assessment.
Employer implications/action needed No immediate action is required while the draft legislation remains under consideration and may be amended.
Employer risk N/A
Link Draft (in Estonian)
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