Massachusetts Bans Employers From Asking About Salary History

Massachusetts has passed a law prohibiting employers from asking employees about their past salary history. This is a step in the right direction. Wage inequality has been an ongoing and unresolved issue in this day and age. In an era where employment opportunities are ample and there are federal laws in place that outlaw labor discrimination against women and other minorities, this type of wage disparity still exists and needs to be set aside once and for all.

Step in the Right Direction

Women’s rights has been a recurring issue in American history and politics for the past couple hundred years. From Seneca Falls to women becoming active participants in voting rights, this has been a nagging and ongoing topic of discussion with no end in sight. This recent Massachusetts law, along with similar laws enacted in other states, reinforces women’s rights and wage equality.

Although gender wage inequality is the problem posed here, such legislation helps other minorities as well. Federal law prevents gender-based pay discrimination yet wage gaps still exist. There are studies, including one from the United States Census Bureau that puts the average national salary for women slightly below their male counterparts.

The new Massachusetts bill, aside from preventing employers from questioning salary history, also allows employees to share their salary with others. This not only puts the issue at the forefront, but also validates the issue. In other words, spreading the word about their respective salary, employees can gain an awareness of where they stand compared to others in the same line of work or similar profession. Furthermore, employees can better understand where they stand relative to others in their industry.

For example, if a programmer is receiving a salary and bonuses that is less than the average programmer in the same industry or particular niche, then this could be grounds for complaint for that individual. However, in light of this new piece of legislation and other such laws enacted elsewhere, this is without a doubt a step in the right direction.

Holding Its Own

Although this bill is a state-enacted piece of legislation, it has sent a ripple effect all throughout the country. Even though the Supreme Court is the law of the land, i.e., it governs all, state laws have dominion over their own borders unless Supreme Court says otherwise.

As mentioned before, although there are federal laws in place such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Equal Pay Act of 1963, and other like bodies of law, this state law has its own weight of authority and brings into focus the issue on a more personal level. This idea that employers cannot raise questions of salary history could work in a court of law because undoubtedly, this is the goal that we have been aiming for all these decades.

Since the end of the Second World War, women have sought better work conditions and more work opportunities, and rather than just be sit-in mothers. They want to be a part of the tour de force of society in building and assuming the roles of pioneers, innovators, and holding a position in society that is appreciated and will contribute towards the evolution of socio-economic values.

A Subsisting Problem

Hopefully, with this legislation and others, as well as SCOTUS stepping in to bring this much-needed change, we will be one step closer to achieving what the founding fathers strived for and what is rooted in our core values. Of course, this needs to be a group effort. Both major parties, as well as the judicial branch, need to play their part. Congressional Republicans have blocked passage of certain bills, such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, that would push for greater wage equality. For progress to be possible, politicians need to put their differences aside and work in unity for the greater good.