Reminder: NYC Ban on Salary History Inquiries Takes Effect at End of Month

Beginning October 31, 2017, New York City employers will no longer be permitted to ask job applicants about their salary history or rely on a job applicant’s salary history in determining the potential salary or benefits for that applicant. The new legislation, which applies to all employees working in New York City and was signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in May, amended the New York City Human Rights Law by making it an “unlawful discriminatory practice” for an employer to ask an applicant, the applicant’s former or current employer, or a co-worker of the applicant about the applicant’s salary history. The law, as described in a press release by the Mayor’s office, represents a “major step toward achieving pay equity” by ensuring “that prospective job applicants have a fair and just hiring process.”