Illinois Governor Signs No Salary History Bill into Law

Today, Illinois Governor Pritzker signed the No Salary History bill, legislation that will strengthen the Equal Pay Act by prohibiting employers from asking job applicants about their previous salaries. When employers base women’s wages on what they made in the past, it perpetuates lower wages for women and people of color, with black and Latinx women experiencing the greatest wage disparities. The No Salary History Bill will help ensure a person’s salary is based on the requirements of the job and the employee’s qualifications. 

The gender wage gap is a significant contributing factor to women’s disproportionate experience of poverty. This important step forward toward eliminating the gender wage gap follows three years of advocacy by the Shriver Center and our allies, and two vetoes by former Governor Bruce Rauner. We are proud to have worked with lawmakers and fellow advocates for years to advance this crucial legislation. Listen to Wendy Pollack, director of the Shriver Center’s Women’s Law and Policy Initiative, deliver remarks at today’s signing ceremony.