NPR

More Employers Avoid Legal Minefield By Not Asking About Pay History

States and cities are banning questions about prior pay in the hopes of narrowing gender and racial pay gaps. More employers are finding ways around the legal patchwork by eliminating the question.
Asking questions about prior salary can be used by employers to discriminate against women and minorities who earn less, critics say.

How much did you make in your previous job?

This dreaded interview question can sound like a trap. Your answer could be used to set your salary below someone else who is doing the same job.

And, critics say, the question can be used by employers to discriminate against women and minorities who earn less.

Employers are allowed to ask

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min readCrime & Violence
Climate Activist Who Defaced Edgar Degas Sculpture Exhibit Sentenced
A federal judge sentenced Joanna Smith to 60 days in prison for smearing paint on the case surrounding Edgar Degas' Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art.
NPR5 min readWorld
Blinken Tells China It's In Their Interest To Stop Helping Russia
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken following his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and top Chinese officials in Beijing.
NPR5 min readWorld
Blinken Tells China It's In Their Interest To Stop Helping Russia
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Secretary of State Blinken about U.S. foreign policy and his meeting with China's President Xi Jinping.

Related Books & Audiobooks