NEW YORK CITY HAS BECOME THE LATEST CITY TO ENACT LAWS REGARDING PAY TRANSPARENCY, OPENING UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASED LEVERAGE IN JOB NEGOTIATIONS FOR WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY!
In many American states and cities, how much companies pay for any given job role will no longer be a secret.
As of November 1, most of the employers who advertise job openings in NYC are required to disclose the salary ranges under the city’s human rights laws. Also, salary fields can’t be open-ended. So, for example, they cannot say “$45,000” and up. Anyone posting a job listing in NYC must post both a minimum and a maximum salary that they’re willing to offer candidates.
NYC is following in the footsteps of Washington, Rhode Island, Nevada, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, and California, all states that have enacted similar pay transparency laws. Such laws are essential, according to experts who say they help create a level playing field among applicants.
When a job applicant is unaware of pay ranges, they must rely on a company representative to share that information, which can lead to inequality among candidates.
Because transparency laws are relatively new, their long-term impact remains unclear. However, early research finds that salary transparency laws can narrow the gender pay gap and help increase overall salaries for workers. For example, one early study found that posted salaries increased, on average, by 3.6% in Colorado after enacting pay transparency laws.
These kinds of equitable policies are helpful to women, individuals of color, and other marginalized people and can help close the pay gaps they’ve historically faced, officials say.
Even if you don’t live in New York City or one of the states with pay transparency laws on the books, you can leverage these new policies to work in your favor.
Read on to find out how.
WHEN APPLYING FOR A JOB, USE POSTED SALARY INFORMATION TO DETERMINE HOW YOU WILL ADDRESS QUESTIONS ABOUT SALARY EXPECTATIONS AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD APPLY IN THE FIRST PLACE…
Job applicants should always discuss salaries upfront in their first job interview and make sure they have a clear answer regarding the salary range. If the salary range was posted in the listing, ask where you might land in that span based on your experience and whatever value you can bring to the role.
Insisting on getting the top number in a salary range might not be the best move in every situation.
Job experts say that you should remain self-aware regarding your experience or whatever value you can bring to substantiate the desired salary when it is brought up during the interview. They suggest that you put yourself in the company’s shoes and consider your qualifications from their standpoint.
Another advantage of transparency rules is they help job seekers remain focused when job hunting.
Knowing the salary range in advance helps a job seeker decide whether or not it is worth applying for that job. If you only found out the salary range at the tail end of your hiring process and it isn’t enough, everyone’s time would have been wasted. That’s no good for anyone and no way to run a hiring process, experts say.
…EVEN WHEN YOUR CITY OR STATE DOESN’T REQUIRE THAT COMPANIES SHARE SALARY RANGES.
Even when looking for a job in an area that doesn’t have pay transparency laws on the books, you may be able to use salary ranges that a company posted in other areas to determine your salary range.
In Colorado, employers must post salary ranges and benefits for all job openings and promotional opportunities, including remote positions. As a result, you can use Colorado’s ranges when applying for a job opening elsewhere. Adjust for differences in cost of living, and you should be able to come up with a fair estimate of your salary range.
IF YOU ARE AN EXISTING EMPLOYEE AND REALIZE YOU ARE ON THE LOW END OF POSTED SALARY RANGES, MAYBE IT’S TIME TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS.
If your company’s job postings alert you that you make less than new hires, you might be angry and frustrated. Take a deep breath and gather all relevant information about how your salary package was created in the first place before you jump to any conclusions.
Perhaps you lacked experience or specific abilities when you first took the job, or it was an honest oversight.
Experts caution against crying foul until you sit down with a manager or someone from HR to find out how your salary was determined. Then, after the initial conversation, you can bring it up if you believe that an adjustment to your salary might be warranted.
When you see job listings for similar roles with higher salary ranges, use that information to your advantage and request a salary adjustment. Just remember to keep the conversation positive while being direct about any existing pay gaps.