Philadelphia announces enforcement date for ban on salary history questions

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The City of Philadelphia announced Thursday that it will begin enforcing its Wage Equity Ordinance starting September 1.

That means employers will no longer be allowed to ask job applicants for their salary histories or use that history to set wages.

The ordinance is meant to help close the wage gap for women and people of color.

"Bans on salary history inquiries are a critical component of the equal pay movement and Philadelphia's law was seemingly the national test case. With the legal proceedings completely behind us now and an enforcement date set, job applicants in Philadelphia will soon begin to reap the benefits of the Wage Equity Ordinance," said City Solicitor Marcel Pratt.

After it was signed into law in 2017, the measure was challenged in court.

Earlier this year, a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals allowed the city to move forward with enforcement.