Cleveland Enacts Salary History and Pay Transparency Law

Posted May 19, 2025

Payroll, Human Resources, Recruiting, Employees, Hiring, Laws/Policies

Beginning October 27, 2025, employers with 15 or more employees in Cleveland will be prohibited from inquiring about an applicant’s pay history and will be required to include pay ranges in job postings. Key details are included below.

Pay Inquiries Prohibited

Employers can’t request or require applicants to provide their pay history. They also can’t screen applicants based on their pay history or require that their past compensation meet certain minimums or maximums. If an employer receives pay information accidentally, they can’t rely solely on it when deciding whether to offer the applicant the job or to determine how much they’ll be paid. Applicants are defined as those who are applying for a job that will be performed in Cleveland and whose application was solicited, considered, or processed in Cleveland.

The law doesn’t apply to the following situations:

When an employee is transferred or promoted internally
When an applicant, without being asked, voluntarily discloses their pay history
When pay history is found during a background check (but even then, employers can’t rely on it to determine compensation)
When a former employee is rehired and the employer already has their pay history on file
When a law specifically authorizes the employer to rely on pay history

Pay Range Postings

Employers need to include pay ranges in job notifications, advertisements, or other formal postings both within and outside Cleveland for potential employment in Cleveland (internal transfers and promotions are excluded). The posted pay range should be a reasonable estimate of what the employer expects to pay for that particular position when filled.

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