New Law Will Require NYC Employers to Disclose Job Pay

Starting May 15, New York City employers will be required by law to list salary ranges in job postings. The pay transparency law was passed by New York City council members in December, and will apply to New York City-based employers with four or more employees.

The new law amends the current New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), and will make it an act of discrimination for employers to advertise a job without detailing the position’s minimum and maximum salary. Violators of the law could face up to $125,000 in fines.

The law will apply for all advertised jobs, transfers and promotions, though it is unclear how the law will impact out-of-state employees who work remotely for a New York City-based company.

Similar legislation has been passed in other states, though some New York City employers have expressed their opposition to the pay transparency law. Kathryn Wylde, chief executive of the Partnership Fund for New York City said in a recent statement that the law “should never have been allowed to go through.”

However, supporters of the law argue that pay transparency gives more agency to workers and has the potential to diminish pay gaps. A 2020 report released by Payscale found that pay transparency closed the gender wage gap for most occupations.

Sapna V. Raj, deputy commissioner for the New York City Commission on Human Rights, said in a recent statement that the commission’s primary goal one the law is passed is progress, not penalization. 

“Our immediate goal is not to penalize, but to educate and work together with the city’s business community, while still ensuring that individuals who have experienced discrimination are able to receive damages,” said Raj.

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