The National Women’s Law Center led a letter from leading national equal pay organizations urging the Washington Senate to reject Senate Bill 5408, a bill that would undermine the state’s visionary law requiring employers to include pay range information in job postings. SB 5408 would gut the law’s enforcement by making it easier for employers to disregard its requirements and continue to keep job seekers in the dark. The bill exploits the power imbalance between job applicants and employers to effectively create an impenetrable barrier to bringing claims under the law.

Pay range transparency empowers workers to negotiate fair wages and advocate for their rights; is crucial for closing wage gaps that disproportionately harm women and workers of color; and helps employers attract strong candidates, retain employees, and save time during the hiring process. At a time when states across the country are moving toward stronger pay range transparency laws, Washington must not move backward.