KemLaw

Effective January 1, 2019, employers in Connecticut face new limitations on the questions they can ask prospective job candidates.

The 2018 Connecticut legislature passed, and the Governor signed a bill called the Pay Equity Act that bars employers from inquiring about prospective employees’ wage or salary histories.

The law was enacted to “promote equality in pay” and to close the wage gap between men and women.

Under the new law, employers are also barred from having third parties inquire about a job candidates wage history.

Employers may still inquire about the structure of an applicant’s prior compensation package including stock options and retirement benefits, but they cannot solicit information about the value of those benefits.

Under the new law, employers are permitted to verify salary information if that information is voluntarily disclosed by an applicant.

Employees gain the right to sue for violations of this act within two years of alleged violations.

Steps every employer should take immediately

To protect your company, every employer should take the followings steps:

• Remove any requests for salary information from all employment applications.
• Revise all hiring policies to remove any questions about salary history. Hiring scripts should also be revised.
• Train all staff on the requirement of the new law.
• Make sure all applicants understand that your company is complying with the new law.
• Confirm that all third-party employment consultants are also in full compliance with the new law.

If you’re an employer and have questions about labor and employment law, consider calling on the attorneys at Kainen, Escalera & McHale in Connecticut.  We do one thing and one thing only – we are an employer defense law firm – in fact, we are one of the largest employer defense law firms in the region.  What’s more, each of our attorneys have over 20 years of experience in employment and labor law matters and can provide your business with comprehensive legal counsel ranging from assistance with necessary preventive measures to trial advocacy.  Please call us if we can help you.

The information provided above is made available by Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C. for educational purposes only.  It is not intended to provide specific legal advice to your individual circumstances or legal questions. You acknowledge that neither your reading of nor posting on, this site establishes an attorney-client relationship between you and our law firm or any of the attorneys in our firm. This information should not be used as a substitute for seeking competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state nor is it provided.