The House Commerce and Labor Committee recently killed a bill that would have limited what employers could ask prospective job candidates during the hiring process, reported The Northern Virginia Daily.
HB 2190, introduced by Del. Jennifer Boysko, proposed to ban employers from requiring job applicants to provide their salary history for past jobs. Under the bill, employers would also be prohibited from obtaining this information from previous employers. If either rule were violated, each violation would have resulted in a $100 civic penalty.
The bill was intended to combat wage discrimination by forcing employers to base the salary offer on a prospective employee’s abilities and experience. However, opponents, including NFIB/VA, noted that the measure could actually end up hurting job candidates. Nicole Riley, NFIB/VA state director, told The Northern Virginia Daily, “We think employers ought to have flexibility to ask these questions. Particularly for small business owners, it helps to understand the market for the position they’re trying to fill.” Riley added that the measure could lead to employers giving lowball salary offers to new employees
