Should LA Ban Salary Histories?

LOS ANGELES, CA — A City Council committee Wednesday approved of barring city departments from asking for a salary history from job seekers, but balked at applying the same standard to all employers in the city or all that do business within the city.

Councilwoman Nury Martinez introduced a motion last August asking the city to explore the feasibility of creating a law that would bar the city and employers in the city from asking about salary history, saying it was aimed at helping women's salaries catch up with those of men.

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"A woman with the same work experience as a man but with a lower salary history should not be penalized as she advances throughout her career," Martinez said when the motion was approved in October.

Councilman Mitchell Englander said he supported the city eliminating salary history from its applications but expressed concern over a law ordering all employers in the city to do so.

"From my perspective, I have no concern over setting city policy over what we do. I do have concern, particularly over the legalities, as they are still being tried and tested, in what we do with private employers. I think leading by example is a good thing," Englander said at the Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee meeting.

Councilman Curren Price said he had concerns over trying to impose regulations on businesses outside of the city but that do business within the city, and said, "I don't know exactly where that line is."

As a result of the concerns, the committee recommended the city adopt the new guidelines on salary history in its hiring practices but stopped short of recommending anything further.

City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock