California recently joined a growing number of cities and states to pass a law that bans salary history questions. Prompted by concerns about gender- and race-based wage discrimination, the law is designed to prevent employers from using past compensation as a basis for current salary and benefits negotiations with job applicants. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 7,050 equal pay discrimination charges were filed against employers over a six-year time span. Employers can ensure compliance by removing all questions relating to salary history from job applications; revising screening and interviewing methods; and training hiring managers to ask the right questions.

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