Governor Healey Signs Wage Equity Legislation
Bill requires employers to post pay ranges, improves data
collection on gender and racial wage gaps
BOSTON – Governor Maura T. Healey today signed into
law An
Act relative to salary range transparency (H.4890), which increases
equity and transparency in pay by requiring employers to disclose salary ranges
and protecting an employee’s right to ask for salary ranges.
“I have long supported wage equity legislation and, as
Attorney General, I was proud to work together with the business community to
implement the 2016 Equal Pay Act,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This new
law is an important next step toward closing wage gaps, especially for People
of Color and women. It will also strengthen the ability of Massachusetts
employers to build diverse, talented teams. I want to thank the Legislature,
advocates, labor unions, and the business community for their hard work to see
this through.”
“Massachusetts has always taken seriously our responsibility
to ensure pay equity, from the 2016 Equal Pay Act to today’s wage equity
legislation,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Not only is this
the right thing to do for our workers, but it’s also going to strengthen our
economy and ability to compete for the best talent.”
“Massachusetts is among early adopters to lead on this
effort, demonstrating how working together with government, businesses, labor,
and advocates will move us forward in tackling gender and racial wage
disparities and inequities within the workplace,” said Labor and Workforce
Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “As this policy is implemented,
the Healey-Driscoll administration looks forward to working with employers to
leverage this as a new tool to attract and retain skilled, diverse talent
committed to growing their professions right here in Massachusetts.”
The legislation requires public and private employers with
25 or more employees to disclose pay ranges in job postings, provide the pay
range of a position to an employee who is offered a promotion or transfer and,
on request, provide the pay range to employees who already hold that position
or are applying for it. The Attorney General’s Office will conduct a public
awareness campaign on these new rules.
The Attorney General’s Office will also be given enforcement
authority and the ability to impose fines or civil citations for violations of
this law, and employees will receive protections against retaliation for asking
for salary ranges when applying for a job or promotion.
The legislation also requires public and private employers
with 100 or more employees to submit wage data reports to the state, which will
then be published through aggregate wage reports by the Executive Office of
Labor and Workforce Development.
"With the signing of this legislation, Massachusetts is
one step closer to ensuring equal pay for equal work,” said House Speaker
Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “Pay transparency will not only make our
workplaces more equitable, it will also make Massachusetts more competitive
with other states. I’d like to thank Governor Healey, Senate President Spilka
and Leader Gregoire, as well as all members of the House and the Senate, for
their important work on this legislation.”
“This is simple: everyone deserves equal pay for equal work,
regardless of your gender, race, ethnicity, or background,” said Senate
President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “It is far too common for women and
people of color to be paid less than their coworkers nationwide, and
Massachusetts is not immune. With the Governor’s signature, our state stands
united behind every worker—and with every business—in our steadfast commitment
to the fundamental principle that every person has the right to be treated and
compensated fairly in the workplace. I’m thankful to Governor Healey for her
signature, Senator Jehlen for her work on the conference committee, each of the
conferees, Speaker Mariano, and our partners in the House for their work on
this critical legislation.”
“I’m grateful Governor Healey is signing this bill today.
This was a priority for the legislature and the Governor. The 2016 Equal Pay
Act was a huge step forward in closing pay gaps and it worked. Recent studies
show significant increases in pay for women and people of color as a result of
the act,” said Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Middlesex). “This bill takes
the next steps: job seekers, especially women and people of color, will enter
wage negotiations with more information to secure better offers. With the data
collected we’ll learn about inequities that persist and be able to identify ways
to solve them.”
“I am grateful that this crucial legislation, which provides
critical updates to the Equal Pay Act of 2016, has been signed into law. Salary
range transparency and improved wage and workforce data collection will help
identify gender and racial wage gaps so that we may continue to do the work of
leveling the playing field in the workplace,” said Floor Division Chair
Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough). “I would like to thank my fellow
conferees, especially my Senate counterpart, Senator Jehlen, and
Representatives Brandy Fluker Oakley and Hannah Kane along with Speaker Mariano
for their commitment to guiding this important legislation across the finish
line.”
"I am proud that we as a Commonwealth are taking concrete and nation-leading steps to close long-standing gender and racial wage gaps that persist across our economy," said Senator Paul R. Feeney (D-Foxborough), Senate Conferee and sponsor of wage transparency legislation that was folded into the underlying bill. "These gaps not only erode the integrity of work in the Commonwealth but also continue to exacerbate an uneven economy for working people, especially women and people of color who have historically faced persistent and glaring inequities in the workplace. By bringing partners in labor, business and community together to establish common sense wage and workplace transparency, we will ensure Massachusetts can continue attracting and retaining diverse and skilled workers that enable our Commonwealth to compete and thrive. With the signing of this bill, workers are empowered and businesses are supported."
"Making real progress toward justice and equality means we must not only see the importance of wage equity, especially for women and people of color, but also take action to achieve it," said Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley (D-Mattapan). "Now that the bill is on Governor Healey's desk, ready to be signed into law, we have a key opportunity to empower individuals and strengthen our communities. Ensuring wage equity will help everyone thrive and contribute to a fairer future."
“I am very optimistic that this legislation which promotes equity and fairness within our Commonwealth has made it to the Governor’s desk. This law will solidify what the Massachusetts workforce is entitled to in accessing imperative information regarding salary ranges, fostering a job market which will offer increased inclusivity and transparency,” said Senator Patrick M. O’Connor (R-Weymouth), a Senate Conferee. “Requiring employers to disclose pay ranges, alongside publicizing aggregate wage data information is an important step forward in closing the gendered and racial wage gap. I do look forward to the opportunity to continue working to advance important reforms in pay equity. Ensuring equal opportunity for all Massachusetts workers is beneficial not just to those employees of the state, but to our overall economy. I’d like to thank all members of the Conference Committee and Governor Healey for their combined efforts regarding this law.”
“As the House Chair of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators (MCWL), I am thrilled to see one of the Caucus’ legislative priorities signed into law by Governor Healey,” said Representative Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury). “This bill is an essential step toward gender and racial equity in the workplace, and will help ensure that women, especially women of color, are paid fairly. On behalf of the MCWL, I thank House and Senate leadership, and the many advocates for this legislation, for all their work to make salary transparency the law in Massachusetts.”
"I am grateful to my colleagues and the governor for
getting this bill done,” said Senator Joan B. Lovely (D- Salem) and Senate
Chair of the Women's Caucus. “This bill marks a crucial step forward for
transparent advertising in job postings that will help close the equity gap in
fair and open hiring practices, to assure applicants and prospective hires are
treated equally as they make future career choices.”
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