Delaware, Oregon, and San Francisco recently joined the growing list of jurisdictions that have adopted laws preventing employers from inquiring about the salary history of job applicants. The issue has picked up steam at the state and local levels, often with bi-partisan support, and we anticipate that more states and localities will join the expanding list of such jurisdictions in the coming months.
The Delaware salary history ban is scheduled to go into effect in December 2017. The new Oregon salary history law, which goes into effect next month, also expands equal pay protections to a wide range of protected classes, including race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, and age. The San Francisco salary history ordinance is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2018.
These three jurisdictions now join Massachusetts, Philadelphia, New York City, and Puerto Rico in banning employers from asking applicants about salary history with the intent of reducing gender pay disparities by working to close the persistent wage gap between men and women.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.