A new New York City law, set to go into effect in October, 2017, will bar employers within the five boroughs from asking job candidates about their salary history.
The law is meant to address the issue of pay inequality between men and women, as well as wage discrimination against minorities. In 2015, women earned 79.6 cents for every dollar men made, and black and hispanic men and women earn substantially less than their white counterparts. Proponents argued that asking an interviewee about his/her salary history perpetuates these problems.
The measure also prohibits employers from asking the candidate’s current or former employer(s) about salary, as well as querying public records for it. However, a job applicant may volunteer the information if he/she chooses to do so.
For more information regarding this law, please call David S. Feather of Feather Law Firm, P.C. at (516) 745-9000.