Columbus joins Toledo and Cincinnati in banning questions about salary history, but does not require sharing wage information as a condition of employment.

Effective March 1, 2024, employers with at least 15 employees located in Columbus, Ohio may not ask about a prospective employee’s wage or salary history. Employers include job placement, referral agencies, and other employment agencies operating on behalf of an employer. 

An “applicant” is any person who is applying for a job within the geographic boundaries of the city and whose application “in whole or in part, will be solicited, received, processed, or considered in the City of Columbus.” This does not apply to candidates for internal transfer or promotion with their current employer.   

The city ordinance makes it illegal for an employer or business acting on behalf of the employer to: 

• Ask about a prospective employee’s salary history, including current or prior wages, benefits, or other compensation.   
• Screen job applicants based on their current or prior wages, benefits, or other compensation. 
• Rely on the applicant’s salary history in deciding whether to offer employment or in determining wages, benefits, or other compensation. 
• Retaliate against an applicant for not disclosing salary history.

The City of Columbus, OH ordinance differs from that of Toledo and Cincinnati in that it does not require employers to share the pay scale for the position with applicants after a conditional offer of employment.  

This is another city in Ohio where employers should review and update where necessary their employment applications, hiring practices, policies, and procedures to ensure compliance with these prohibitions on salary history inquiries. Employers may also want to train their hiring managers in advance of these new requirements beginning on March 1, 2024.