Application form / careers content asks for salary history
This check looks at your job application form and careers content for any field or question asking candidates for their current or past salary, known as 'salary history'. On this site, that request was found. Employers have traditionally used salary history to set offers, but the practice is now considered a pay-discrimination signal because it carries forward whatever a candidate was underpaid in a previous role.
Why this matters
Asking for salary history is restricted in a number of places, including under the EU Pay Transparency Directive (Article 5(2), for EU employers) and in many US states and cities, such as California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado and Illinois. Rules differ by location, so check which apply to where you hire. Beyond the legal question, it can signal to candidates that your hiring process is behind current practice.
How to fix it
Your people team and a legal adviser should remove every 'current salary' or 'salary history' field from your application forms, your ATS (applicant tracking system) and any external job-board postings. Replace it with an optional 'salary expectation' field, which is generally permitted but should be checked against the rules where you hire, and still lets you gauge fit. Budget about a day to update every form and posting.
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