Expanding on the 2015 Connecticut law which enables employees to freely discuss their payrates, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act 21-30: An Act Concerning the Disclosure of Salary Range for a Vacant Position which requires employers to disclose salary ranges to job applicants.
The Act:
· Requires employers to provide a job applicant the salary range for the position to which he/she is applying either on the applicant's request or prior to or at the time the applicant is made an offer, whichever is earlier.
· Requires the employer to disclose the wage range for a position upon the hiring of an employee, a change in the employee’s position with the employer, or on the employee’s first request for the wage range.
· Changes the test for demonstrating pay discrimination on the basis of sex. Previously an employee had to demonstrate the employer pays wages to employees of one sex less than it pays to employees of the opposite sex for equal work. An employee would now only need to show that the work was comparable, rather than equal.
“The comparable worth provision should not be under-appreciated by employers,” noted Atty. Emily Noonan. “Whereas the federal Equal Pay Act prohibits gender discrimination when employees are performing the same job in terms of equal skill, effort, and responsibility, the idea of comparable worth is that positions that have the same value should be paid similarly.” she explained.
The Act now heads to the Governor’s desk for signing, which is expected, and would take effect October 1, 2021.