Why Banning Questions About Salary History May Not Improve Pay Equity

In a survey conducted to better understand the relationship between the salary history question and the gender pay gap, researchers at PayScale found that women who declined to give their previous salary were offered 1.8% less than women who did disclose. Men who declined, however, were paid 1.2% higher than men who disclosed. The root of this discrepancy could come down to two biases: people reacting negatively to women who negotiate their pay and employers assuming women who decline are paid less than they actually are.