Fuse Washington named Sen. Emily Randall (D-Bremerton) the "Legislator of the Week" for her leadership in improving wage transparency for Washington workers.
The Washington state Senate recently passed Randall’s bill, SB 5761, that would require employers to provide the wage scale or salary range in job postings along with a description of all benefits and other compensation. Randall’s legislation would only apply to employers with 15 or more employees and her legislation is modeled after similar laws enacted in Colorado and New York City.
“We believe all workers deserve to have full and accurate information about job openings so they can make the best choices for themselves and their families,” said Jamielyn Wheeler, Deputy Director of Fuse Washington. “This bill is an important step to improve equity in hiring and empower workers across Washington.”
Randall’s bill would help alleviate disparities in salary offers and negotiations that often hurt women and people of color. The National Women’s Law Center found that female candidates often ask for less than men when they negotiate for salaries, and other research found similar disparities for Black candidates. By publicly posting salary ranges up front, Randall’s bill would provide all applicants the same information over which to negotiate. In addition, it would make it harder for employers to low-ball candidates with offers well below the potential salary range.
“No matter what you look like or what job you do, we all want the opportunity to earn a good living and Senator Randall is helping make that possible,” continued Wheeler.
Randall’s bill now moves to the opposite chamber where it was heard in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards
Previous winners of Fuse’s "Legislator of the Week" award include Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle) for protecting voting rights and Rep. Tana Senn (D-Mercer Island) for her work to ensure equal pay for women.
