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January 11, 2023

California and Washington Join Jurisdictions Requiring Pre-Employment Pay Transparency

Effective January 1, California and Washington joined a growing list of jurisdictions requiring employers to be transparent about their pay. The new laws require employers to include a salary range in job postings, and are similar to a 2021 Colorado law and an ordinance that went into effect in New York City last year.
Home » News » California and Washington Join Jurisdictions Requiring Pre-Employment Pay Transparency

Megan K. Mechak
Wed, 01/11/2023

Effective January 1, California and Washington joined a growing list of jurisdictions requiring employers to be transparent about their pay. The new laws require employers to include a salary range in job postings, and are similar to a 2021 Colorado law and an ordinance that went into effect in New York City last year. On December 21, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochel signed a pay transparency bill into law, which will take effect later this year.

Unlike the earlier Colorado law and New York City ordinance, the California and Washington laws provide for private causes of action that can be filed by prospective workers against companies that violate the law.

These laws are part of an effort to fight pay discrimination, where members of protected classes intentionally or unintentionally make less than their white, male counterparts. Other states, like Connecticut and Nebraska, require employers to disclose salary information to candidates during the hiring process. A similar law, requiring employers to disclose wage ranges to employees upon hire, transfer, or upon request, went into effect in Rhode Island on January 1, 2023.

Legal Representation for All Workers

When McGillivary Steele Elkin LLP decides to take your case, it is because we believe there is an unacceptable workplace violation that has negatively impacted you or resulted in your employer paying less than what the law requires and which we have a reasonable chance of remedying. We recognize that meritorious claims should not go unremedied because of the level of a person’s resources.

To ensure accessible and available legal representation for all our clients, MSE handles cases through different forms of fee arrangements, including contingency fees, hourly fees and fixed fees.

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