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State legislators passed a bill that revised statues regarding pay equity and builds on existing law that is intended to prevent wage discrimination.

Employers Must Disclose Wage Ranges

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed legislation that prohibits employers from:

• Failing or refusing to inform an applicant about the salary range for a position to which they are applying:
• Upon the applicant’s request.
• Before or at the time an offer of compensation is made.

• Failing or refusing to inform an employee about the salary range for a position upon:
• Hiring
• A change of position.
• A request for information made by the employee.

This bolsters existing anti wage discrimination legislation which prohibits employers from:

• Asking a candidate about their salary history.
• Forbidding employees from discussing how much they earn or requiring them to sign a waiver that denies their ability to have such discussions.
• Discriminating or retaliating against an employee for discussing wages with a co-worker.

Pay Equity Standard

The new legislation builds on existing law that makes it illegal for employers to compensate people differently because of their gender if both positions involve an equal amount of work under similar circumstances. Per the new law, employers are prohibited from enacting any discriminatory wage policies for “comparable work on a job.”

This requires employers to determine what qualifies as comparable work. To accomplish this, they are asked to review a variety of factors, including skill, effort and the level of responsibility that is necessary for each position. If an employer chooses to provide differing salaries, they must be able to show that their decision was based on a “bona fide factor other than sex, including, but not limited to, education, training, credential, skill, geographic location or experience.”

What Connecticut Employers Should Know

Connecticut’s new salary history and pay equity law goes into effect on October 1. Employers should be aware of these changes and prepared for compliance.

We recommend consulting with counsel and reviewing hiring, salary and related policies to ensure you are up-to-date with existing and pending laws.

The Hiring Process

When bringing on new employees, contractors or volunteers, organizations must follow federal, state and local laws where they operate and their candidates reside. These laws vary by location so it is helpful to have all your compliance policies fully documented, updated regularly and shared with everyone who will be involved in finding people to represent your brand.

An important part of hiring involves running comprehensive background checks. These reports help organizations make informed decisions and determine if someone has the proper qualifications and credentials. They can also show if a candidate has a violent or otherwise serious criminal record that might indicate they pose an undue risk.

When your organization needs background checks, please contact us. Our experienced team can customize screening packages for any position and makes efforts to keep up with employment-related laws. We’re available to assist you and answer questions Monday through Friday from 5am to 6pm PT.