On June 11, 2019, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a new law that prohibits wage discrimination based upon sex and protects workers who decline to share their salary history with a prospective employer. The new law takes effect August 1, 2019. Unlike laws in some other states, the Alabama law does not bar employers from asking for salary history information, but prohibits employers from refusing to interview or hire applicants who decline to provide such information.

Alabama joins a growing list of jurisdictions to ban or limit the use of salary history inquiries in the hiring process, including:

  • California (statewide and in San Francisco)
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois (awaiting Gov. Pritzker’s signature)
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Missouri
  • New York (Albany, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, and NYC)
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Philadelphia (subject to legal challenge)
  • Vermont
  • Washington
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Photo of Bill Pokorny Bill Pokorny

Bill is a partner at Franczek P.C. As co-chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, Bill is particularly versed in all aspects of state and federal law relating to minimum wages, overtime, exemptions, and wage payment issues. Bill also regularly counsels…

Bill is a partner at Franczek P.C. As co-chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, Bill is particularly versed in all aspects of state and federal law relating to minimum wages, overtime, exemptions, and wage payment issues. Bill also regularly counsels employers on issues relating to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), disability and accommodations. Bill provides management and employee training on workplace legal issues, and also conducts workplace investigations and legal audits. Bill also has extensive litigation experience, representing employers in federal and state courts and administrative agencies such as the U.S. and Illinois Departments of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 2014, Bill was named to the annual “40 Under 40” published by Law Bulletin Publishing which recognizes 40 attorneys under the age of 40 based on nominations by their clients, peers and the legal community.