Wage history; disclosure; retaliation; prohibition
If enacted, SB1197 would amend Title 23, Chapter 2 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, adding Section 23-207. This amendment would legally define 'wage history' and clarify that not providing such information should not influence hiring decisions. The implications of this change aim to promote fair hiring practices by allowing individuals to seek employment based on their qualifications, rather than based on potentially discriminatory wage histories from their past positions.
SB1197 is a proposed bill in the Arizona Senate that aims to amend current employment practices with regard to wage history disclosure. Under this legislation, employers would be prohibited from refusing to interview, hire, promote, or employ applicants solely because they do not provide their wage history from previous employers. The intent behind this bill is to enhance job applicants' opportunities and to reduce wage discrimination based on prior earnings, which can disproportionately affect women and minorities.
There may be points of contention surrounding SB1197, especially regarding the implications for employer practices and the potential challenges in enforcement. Some employers may argue that wage history provides valuable context for evaluating candidates' candidacies and that barring its disclosure could complicate the hiring process. Advocates for the bill, however, contend that this practice perpetuates existing inequalities and that a candidate’s ability should be prioritized over their prior compensation.