Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris > Uncategorized > KC Employers Now Subject to Ordinance Barring Salary History Questions

KC Employers Now Subject to Ordinance Barring Salary History Questions

By MELESA JOHNSON

Employers in Kansas City are now barred from asking about a job applicant’s salary history. City Council recently passed Ordinance #190380, [1] which adds Kansas City to the list of other jurisdictions, such as Massachusetts, Delaware, California, New York, New York City, and New Orleans, who have enacted similar laws.

The Ordinance hopes to narrow the gender and race pay discrepancies that continue to plague most professional realms. For example, in Kansas City, women make just over 78 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make, which is wider gap than the national average.[2] Proponents of the Ordinance believe it will encourage pay equity by preventing employers from setting new employee salaries based on their previous wages. This practice known as “anchoring,” results in reduced women’s pay because it perpetuates the discriminatory wages form the prior employer. Id.

Thanks to grassroots movements such as #MeToo, the importance of women’s rights have become a central focus for lawmakers across the country. With the passing of this Ordinance, and the clear intent behind it, Kansas City is on trend with the national goal of eliminating the gender pay inequity.

[1] http://cityclerk.kcmo.org/LiveWeb/Documents/Document.aspx?q=/bEavSFoSCe%2Bos0RzO0CYdqQoYbb2U9G9ynBfKr7tsQZUMcV2MgvelS9rtkh8x8p

[2] https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article230753114.html