Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.
Under current California law, employers may ask job applicants about their wages in current or former jobs. A new ordinance in San Francisco, however, will make such inquiries illegal.
Corinn Jackson with Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI) and Sacramento Shareholder Bruce Sarchet, also a member of the WPI team, discuss how this ordinance will drastically change the hiring practices of San Francisco employers. They review the purpose and the terms of the new law, which prohibits employers both from asking candidates about their salary history and from disclosing pay history to other prospective employers. While the ordinance does not take effect until next July, Corinn and Bruce encourage employers to familiarize themselves now with its requirements and to begin preparing for compliance.