Columbus employers will soon be barred from asking about salary history in job interviews
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Starting Friday, businesses, nonprofits and other employers in Columbus will no longer be allowed to ask job applicants how much they currently make.
A city ordinance will ban employers from asking prospective employees about their previous salaries, benefits packages or other compensation. Beginning March 1, Columbus-based employers who inquire about past wages or base a hiring decision off a person’s previous earnings can face up to thousands of dollars in fines.
Ohioans may be owed part of $4 billion in unclaimed money, department says
City councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla proposed the legislation last year in an effort to combat pay inequity for women, particularly women of color. White women earned 83.3 cents for every dollar white men made in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while Black and Latina women earned 72.6 cents and 65.4 cents, respectively.
Several women testified before city council last February about their experiences being locked into lower wages than their male counterparts because they were candid about what they earned at previous jobs. But outlawing inquiries into applicants’ salary history benefits more than just women and other minorities, Barroso de Padilla said in an interview.
“All boats rise,” Barroso de Padilla said. “When we talk about pay equity, it’s not just about closing the pay gap for women. It’s about ensuring everyone will make more – it doesn’t matter who you are.”
Report lists warnings pilots received before plane from Ohio State Airport crashed in Florida
The salary history ban applies to all employers with 15 or more workers in Columbus. While it applies to the city, it doesn’t apply to other government employers at the local, state or federal level. The ordinance also explicitly specifies that employers are still permitted to ask applicants about their salary expectations.
Employers would be allowed to ask about prior compensation in limited circumstances, mainly for transfers or promotions within the company or for jobs whose compensation is dictated by collective bargaining agreements. Job applicants can voluntarily disclose their earnings history, although employers would still be barred from making hiring decisions based solely on that information.
Job applicants who believe a prospective employer is violating the salary history ban can report the employer to the Community Relations Commission. Employers face a $1,000 fine for their first violation, a $2,500 fine for a second violation, and up to $5,000 for three or more violations within five years.
Westerville superintendent resigns after five months on the job
Cincinnati and Toledo passed salary history bans in 2019, while several states, including New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island, have passed statewide salary history bans. Barroso de Padilla said she hopes city council considers other ways to promote pay equity and boost wages in Columbus, including through requiring employers to include salary ranges in job postings.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
