State and local governments are increasingly adopting laws and regulations that prohibit employers from requesting salary history information from job applicants.
The goal of these laws is to help end the cycle of pay discrimination and decrease the gender pay gap. Various research has found that women often began their career at a lower rate of pay, which then follows them through their career history. When a company bases a job on salary history, it simply perpetuates the problem. It is believed that by banning salary inquires, job offers will more likely be based on market compensation rates, and the candidate’s capability and skill set.
States and cities where the salary question has been banned or set to be banned in the near future include: California, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Orleans, New York City, Oregon, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, & Puerto Rico. However, not all states are moving this direction, Michigan and Wisconsin have taken steps to prohibit local governments from implementing salary history bans.
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