As of March 1st, 2024, Columbus employers can no longer inquire about the salary history of job applicants. The city is jumping on the bandwagon with Cincinnati and Toledo, who have instituted similar bans over the last few years. The rule applies to employers with 15 or more employees in the City of Columbus.
The goal of the move is to bolster pay equity, and will also apply to “agents” of employers, such as staffing agencies or recruiters. This kind of ordinance isn’t considered new or groundbreaking. Fifteen states and several major cities have implemented bans on salary history inquiries from prospective employers.
Employers who are found in violation of this new rule may be subject to civil penalties between $1000 to $5000. The full verbiage of the measure can be found here, and Roetzel & Andress also has as easy-to-digest rundown on it here.
