Columbia, South Carolina passed an ordinance effective August 6, 2019, limiting employers’ use of criminal background checks and banning employers from inquiring about salary history on job applications.
The EEOC has announced that it will not seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget to collect detailed employee compensation data on its Form EEO-1 next year.
New Jersey recently enacted its Wage Theft Law, transforming the state’s wage and hour laws into one of the most robust in the country. The law substantially expands the civil and criminal recourse available for nonpayment of wages and retaliation.
Toledo, Ohio recently adopted the Pay Equity Act to Prohibit the Inquiry and Use of Salary History in Hiring Practices. The ordinance generally prohibits employers or their agents from asking about, screening or relying on the wage history of applicants.
Although most state legislatures have adjourned for 2019 or are in recess, those still in active session finalized several new employment laws in July.
The pay gap – or paying women and other historically marginalized groups less for the same or substantially similar work – has increasingly been in the media spotlight. Politicians have also taken note.
On July 31, 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 834 into law, strengthening the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003. Key changes take effect on September 29, 2019 and include a ban on the solicitation of salary history data from applicants.
