Just before the election, as the country was focused on who would become our 45th President of the United States, New York City Mayor bill de Blasio was signing an executive order banning municipal agencies from asking job applicants for their salary histories. Executive Order 21 prohibits agencies from inquiring about an applicant’s salary history until AFTER he/she is offered a job. The salary history ban has been floated in a number of states and cities as allegedly a means by which the gender pay gap can be closed. The theory behind the initiative is that women have been lower paid so asking for their history would in some ways justify starting them at a lower salary than a male applicant. Although the NYC ban only applies to government agencies, the NYC Public Advocate has a proposal before the City Council that would extend the prohibition to private employers as well. Already, Massachusetts adopted a ban in August that applies to all employers, private sector included. The same kind of ban on asking for salary history is being considered in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington DC as well as Philadelphia.
