New Washington state law will require employers to post job salary ranges

A new Washington state law will require employers to post salary ranges for jobs they're trying to fill, starting Jan. 1.

Why it matters: Experts say disclosing salary ranges makes job hunting easier, while also helping reduce gender and racial pay inequities, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick wrote in June.

Details: Last week, the state Department of Labor and Industries released a new administrative policy clarifying aspects of the new law.

According to the department, vague language such as "$60,000 per year and up" or "up to $29 an hour" won't meet the new law's transparency requirements.

Instead, job listings must include a clear salary minimum and maximum.

Postings also must describe benefits associated with a job, including vacation days, health insurance and retirement plans.

What they're saying: In a floor speech in February, state Sen. Emily Randall (D-Bremerton) called the measure "an important pay equity bill," adding that people "should be able to have all the relevant information before they apply for a job."

Lawmakers who opposed the proposal argued it would put an unnecessary burden on companies looking to hire in Washington.

"It'll chase more businesses to Idaho and Texas and Florida," state Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) said during a floor debate in March.

Of note: The new Washington law applies to employers with 15 workers or more, even if most of a company's workforce is located out of state.

Colorado, California and New York City have recently passed similar pay transparency laws.