What to know about the pay transparency rules taking effect in Massachusetts

2 days ago 1

Boston's Morning Newsletter

A job listing website. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

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A quick heads up that all trips on the MBTA's Lynn ferry are canceled today due to rough seas, and there could be more cancellations later this week. The T suggests people in Lynn take this bus to Wonderland and ride the Blue Line into Boston.

Now to the news:

Show me the money: Workers in Massachusetts are getting a better idea of what they could make in their future — or current — job. As part of a pay transparency law signed by Gov. Maura Healey last year, new rules take effect today requiring certain employers to include wage or salary range information in all job listings. The rules also give their employees the right to ask for the pay range of their current job. State Sen. Pat Jehlen, a Somerville Democrat who helped write the law, said research shows that pay transparency helps close wage gaps, especially for women and people of color. "People will not go into negotiations as blind as they have been," she told WBUR's Fausto Menard. "We know more information helps reduce discrimination."

Who does the law apply to? Any private or public organization with 25 or more employees who primarily work in Massachusetts. The rules apply to all positions based in Massachusetts, even if they are remote and can be done out of state.
What exactly has to be disclosed? The law says employers must share the minimum and maximum amount they " reasonably" expect to pay for a specific job, based on things like an individual's experience and skill. In addition to reducing wage gaps, Jehlen said it will save job seekers (and, in turn, employers) from wasting time with applications for jobs that pay less than they want.
How wide can the range be? The law doesn't exactly say. "Employers should be making a good faith effort," Hailey Jenkins D’Ambrosio, a lawyer in Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office, said during a webinar about the law earlier this year. "For example, if you would expect to pay a salary around the $60,000 range, don't say that the salary range is $1 to $1 million. That is not going to look reasonable ... but maybe that range could look like $50,000 to $70,000." (Jehlen said lawmakers didn't want to "micromanage" employers. If anyone posts unreasonable ranges, she said they could try and "see who applies.")
Does it apply to both hourly and salaried jobs? Yes. If commission is part of a job's pay structure, employers have to provide the expected range there, too. However, the law does not go so far to cover expected tips for tipped jobs. (The law also does not apply to benefits, which some experts say is a bad move.)
I already have a job. What information can I ask for? Under the law, you always have the right to request the pay range for your current job. You can also request the pay range for a job you're applying for via promotion or transfer.
What if my company refuses, or retaliates against me for asking? They're not allowed to do that. But if it happens, Campbell's office says individuals should file a civil rights complaint. First-time violators will get a warning, and employers could face fines of $500 to $1,000 (or even legal action) for repeat offenses.

State of the schools: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled a few new initiatives for Boston Public Schools during her first-ever "State of the Schools" speech last night. As WBUR's Suevon Lee reports, Wu announced a program called “Wicked Math," a partnership offering advanced math clubs and tutoring opportunities at 20 schools.

Wu also announced a plan to expand after-schools programs. Currently, Wu said 17% of BPS schools don’t have before- and after-school programs — and there isn't universal access at the schools that do. To address the issue, Wu said BPS is starting new after-school programs at the district's 20 community hub schools with help from the Boston Teachers Union, YMCA, United Way and the Lubin Family Foundation. The new programs will also accept state vouchers.

PSA: Members of the local Jamaican community are organizing support for residents of the Caribbean nation, in the wake of Hurricane Melissa's landfall yesterday. Jennifer James, the president of the Jamaican Association of Massachusetts, told WBUR's John Bender that her organization is collecting donations for food and supplies to send as soon as possible. " As soon as the ports are opened up, as soon as the flights are able to get in, we're going to try to ensure things are ready," James said.

Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, before making landfall in Cuba this morning as a Category 3 storm. Click here for photos of the scenes.

P.S.— Do you have health insurance questions with open enrollment season coming up? Here & Now is bringing on a panel of insurance experts today to help. Submit your questions via email or voice message, and then tune in during the 1 p.m. hour today.

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