Salary History Bans Continue to Expand

In an effort to limit pay inequities, many cities and sates have passed legislation barring employers from asking job applicants about their salary histories. Human Resources Executive Online reports that supporters of these bans “say pay inequality starts when women and minorities are given lower starting salaries upon entering the workforce, which is then compounded when they are forced to state their salary histories when applying for a new job”. While Massachusetts and New York are the only states currently prohibiting salary history questions by employers, Washington, New Jersey, Virginia, and California are all considering the ban, and Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New Orleans have this legislation already in place at the city level.