Effective Oct. 1, 2020, a new Maryland law that amends the state’s existing Equal Pay for Equal Work (EWEW) law, will prohibit employers from requesting or relying on job applicants’ prior pay history to make decisions about employment or initial pay in most circumstances. It also requires an employer to provide an applicant, upon request, with the wage range for the job applied for. The requirements, which apply to all private, state, and local government employers in Maryland, add to existing provisions that set nondiscrimination and equal pay standards and prohibit employers from requiring employees to keep their pay information confidential. Violations of the wage history and wage notice requirements are subject to civil penalties of up to $300 for each applicant for whom the employer is not in compliance and up to $600 for each subsequent violation.
