California Clarifies Ban On Salary History Questions

In 2017, A.B. 168 was signed into law prohibiting employers from asking job applicants for "salary history information."

This was intended to protect a Gender Pay disparity, whereby some employers knowingly or not fostered a pay disparity between men and women simply by basing a new salary on an old salary -- even though the prior salary may have been influenced by gender discrimination.

A 2019 clarification states employers may ask about an applicant's salary expectations for a position. Additionally, prior salary history may be utilized by a new employer under a narrow set of circumstances believed to avoid gender discrimination.

For more information on the "salary history" ban, please contact us at your convenience.

For more information on this topic or any employment question, please contact Christopher Taylor of Taylor Labor Law, P.C. at (626) 219-6008 or chris@taylorlaborlaw.com. You may also wish to visit www.taylorlaborlaw.com.