New California Law Will Prevent Employers From Asking Applicant's Salary History

On Oct. 12, 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 168, prohibiting California employers from asking job applicants about their salary history. The law, which takes effect in January 2018, is the latest effort from state law makers to combat pay discrimination through local legislation.

Under existing California law, employers cannot use prior salary, by itself, to justify a pay differential between groups of individuals who perform similar work. AB 168 takes it a step further and bans employers from relying on an applicant’s pay history to determine whether to make an offer and to determine what salary will be offered for the position. Read more.