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.
