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Massachusetts Bans Employers From Asking Applicants About Previous Pay


"In a groundbreaking effort to close the wage gap between men and women, Massachusetts has become the first state to bar employers from asking about applicants’ salaries before making them job offers.

The new law will require hiring managers to offer a compensation figure upfront — based on what the applicant’s worth is to the company, rather than on what he or she made at a previous position."

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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker with State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg after he signed the salary bill into law on Monday. CreditElise Amendola/Associated Press 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/business/dealbook/wage-gap-massachusetts-law-salary-history.html

Stashed in: Women, Salary Negotiation

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So now employers are not even allowed to ask previous salaries? Wow.

Hopefully this means they will increase their offers.

Love this!

The idea is that a previous salary is really none of the new employer's business.  There could be tons of reasons why that salary is not on a market level, or does not reflect an employee's worth.  The same person can be "more precious" to one employer then to another.

Agreed but this puts small companies at a disadvantage because they don't necessarily have data about market rates. Such companies often want to collaborate with the employee to come up with a compensation package that is fair. 

Not being able to ask the candidate could mean less ability to collaborate. 

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