Kansas City, Missouri, bans all salary-history inquiries.

    KCMO bans salary-history inquiries

    Authored by Bukaty Companies on July 2, 2019

    Beginning October 31, 2019, employers in Kansas City, Missouri, will be prohibited from requesting salary history information from job applicants. This change is an attempt to address pay inequalities in the workplace. The ban is applicable to employers with six or more employees.

    Written and verbal inquiries of salary history, as well as public record searches, are banned. When filling a position, employers cannot use salary history to screen applicants or decide job compensation of any kind. Additionally, applicants cannot be penalized for refusing to provide salary history.

    Employers can still conduct background checks and other informational searches but must not allow any unintentionally discovered salary information to affect decision making. Salary history can only be discussed if the applicant discloses it unprompted and, even then, it should not impact employment decisions.

    Other exclusions from this law include internal employee transitions, union employee compensation, and any former employees re-hired within five years of their termination in which the employer still has previous salary information.

    Affected employers should begin compliance training and preparation for this law prior to October 31. If you have any questions about how this affects your business, call 913.345.0440 and ask for Randy Woehl.

    Blog Category: Workplace Insights, Compliance