Salary Transparency Act

Transparency in Job Postings: Employers would be prohibited from failing to disclose a wage or wage range in any public or internal posting for an employment opportunity. This ensures applicants know the pay scale upfront (Section 2(a)(1)).

Information for Applicants: If no posting is available, an employer must disclose the wage or wage range to an applicant before discussing compensation or whenever the applicant asks. This helps applicants understand the pay before entering negotiations (Section 2(a)(2)).

Ongoing Pay Information for Employees: Employers must disclose the wage or wage range to an employee at the time of hire, at least once a year, and whenever requested. This provides clarity on current compensation (Section 2(a)(3)).

Protection Against Retaliation: The bill makes it an unlawful practice to refuse to interview, hire, promote, or employ someone, or to retaliate against them, for exercising rights under this section. This protects workers from being punished for seeking pay information (Section 2(a)(4)).

Ability to Recover Damages: Employees or applicants who are victims of a violation can seek statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000, or actual damages, plus reasonable attorneys' fees. This provides a way for people to hold employers accountable (Section 2(b)).

Financial Penalties for Employers: Employers who violate these rules face civil penalties of $5,000 for a first violation, with increases for subsequent violations up to $10,000. This places a direct financial burden on the employer (Section 2(b)).

Liability and Legal Costs: Employers can be held liable for statutory damages between $1,000 and $10,000 or actual damages, along with reasonable attorneys' fees, for each affected employee or applicant. This could lead to significant costs through individual or group actions in Federal or State courts (Section 2(b)).