Washington employers will soon have to disclose the starting salary for open positions to job applicants — at the beginning of the recruiting process — if a bill that recently passed both chambers of the state Legislature becomes law.
Under the proposed legislation, employers with 15 or more workers would have to disclose the hourly pay rate or salary, or a range of what they could be, as well as give a general description of benefits and other compensation that could be offered in a job posting. That’s a change from the current requirements that say an employer must disclose a salary range and benefits only when a job offer has been made — and the applicant asks for it.
Oftentimes, applicants can’t easily access pay information when they apply for a job, said Sen. Emily Randall, one of the bill’s sponsors. That can create an imbalance among applicants if some candidates have a connection at the company that can shed light on what the employer is willing to offer, or if they have past experience negotiating a higher pay rate. Women, people of color and other individuals from historically underrepresented groups are more likely to be missing those pieces to effectively negotiate a higher pay rate, said Randall, a Bremerton Democrat.
The House passed the legislation Tuesday after the Senate moved it forward in February. The Senate is reviewing slight changes made to the bill by the lower chamber. If it passes, the law will go into effect in January 2023. (Seattle Times)
