OLYMPIA — Job postings in Washington state starting in January will have to show some dollar signs.
Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law legislation requiring employers in the state to include salary and benefits information in job postings, rather than waiting until an offer is made, The Seattle Times reported.
Senate Bill 5761 applies to employers with 15 or more workers. Supporters say it will level the playing field for candidates, particularly women, people of color and others who may not have had experience negotiating for a higher salary and are unaware of how much a company could offer.
“Unless you know what the top and bottom of a pay band is, it’s very difficult to get really what you are worth,” said Cher Scarlett, a software engineer from Kirkland who has advocated for more transparency about wages and gender- or race-based wage gaps in the tech industry.
The law applies to any solicitation the employer uses to attract new workers, whether through a third-party recruiter, a printed job announcement or a posting on a digital job board. Any posting that includes qualifications expected of applicants also must include salary information.
The bill narrowly passed both chambers of the Legislature and was signed by Inslee in late March.
