Columbus employers will soon be barred from asking about salary history in job interviews [Video]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Starting Friday, businesses, nonprofits and other employers in Columbus will no longer be allowed to ask job applicants how much they currently make.

A city ordinance will ban employers from asking prospective employees about their previous salaries, benefits packages or other compensation. Beginning March 1, Columbus-based employers who inquire about past wages or base a hiring decision off a person’s previous earnings can face up to thousands of dollars in fines.

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City councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla proposed the legislation last year in an effort to combat pay inequity for women, particularly women of color. White women earned 83.3 cents for every dollar white men made in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while Black and Latina women earned 72.6 cents and 65.4 cents, respectively.

Several women testified before city council last …