NEW YORK (AP) – An awkward job interview question – how much did you make at your last job? – is getting banned in some parts of the country.
Massachusetts, New York City and Philadelphia have passed laws that bar employers from asking applicants about their salary history. And several states, including California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania, have proposed similar legislation this year.
Supporters say the bans are one way to help close the wage gap between men and women. Some business advocates, however, say the bans hurt companies that use salary histories to help them set wages.
Either way, employment lawyers say the bans may spread.
“I would not be surprised if we see other states and cities consider it,” says Christine Hendrickson, an employment lawyer at Seyfarth Shaw in Chicago.