Asking for salary information from prospective employees is a common practice, but awareness is growing of the risk that this practice may perpetuate pay inequity from one employer and position to another, magnifying the effects of discrimination over the course of a career. To address this problem, Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 168 (AB 168), effective Jan. 1, 2018, which prohibits employers from inquiring into an applicant's salary history.
UC may be exempt from the law due to the university’s legal standing and constitutional status. However, UC’s institutional values and commitment to ensuring equal pay are clear, so UC is taking steps to align hiring processes with the provisions of AB 168.
“Implementing these changes is part of our commitment to progressive talent management, good diversity and anti-discrimination best practices. On top of that, it’s the right thing to do to continue to advance the conversations around equity,” said Systemwide Human Resources Vice President Dwaine B. Duckett.
To help the many departments that may be affected by these changes, a new UCnet page is available with a toolkit for implementing the law, including:
- A checklist with important steps to take during the implementation process at your location
- FAQs with background information on AB 168, its impact on UC policies, practices, and procedures and how to best approach implementation challenges
- Powerpoint slides to help you communicate these changes with various groups
If you have questions contact your location’s central Human Resources and/or local Academic Personnel Office for guidance.