America's Companies Are Being Forced to Reveal Your Salary

In a growing number of states across the country, employers are being required to disclose salaries when posting job applications.

Massachusetts is the latest to mandate pay transparency, with Gov. Maura Healey signing a bill into law in late July that requires businesses with more than 25 employees to disclose salary ranges when posting jobs.

Advocates have championed the end of the pay secrecy as a way to level the playing field and reduce wage gaps, especially for women and people of color. Woman are paid about 84 cents for every dollar that a man is paid, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Meanwhile, Black, Hispanic/Latino and Native American workers earn on average between 73 and 77 cents for every dollar a white worker makes.

But while the laws are seen as a significant step toward wage equality, there can be downsides: companies may be able to hire or retain fewer employees, and transparency could affect morale in the workplace and lower productivity.