Opinion: A new age of pay transparency in New York City

In New York City, it is illegal to pay someone less because of their gender, race, or other protected characteristics. Yet the numbers tell a different story. Black women make 63 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men, adding up to a loss in wages of $1,131,000 over a 40-year career. That’s not just a statistic – it’s a shameful reality that affects families, neighborhoods and our economy.

If you’re wondering how to find out whether you’re being paid fairly in New York City, here’s the problem: you can’t. Employers are not required to tell you what they pay others in the same role. This lack of transparency is one of the biggest reasons our wage gap has endured for so long.

Pay secrecy keeps workers in the dark, hides unlawful pay disparities and rewards subjective and biased salary-setting. It allows employers to pay based on who negotiates the hardest, not who is most qualified. And it sustains old patterns: overcompensating white men based on stereotypes about competence and reliability, while undervaluing and underpaying the work of women and people of color.

Four years ago, the City Council passed New York City’s first pay transparency law, requiring salary ranges in job postings. It was a critical first step. Now, most workers say they won’t even apply for a job without a posted range. But that law only covers job seekers, not the millions of people already working in roles who may be underpaid.

It’s time to take the next step – the Council must pass Introduction 808. The bill would give current employees the right to request the pay range for their position, information that should never have been kept secret. It would also require employers to disclose benefits like health care and paid family leave, as well as other forms of compensation such as bonuses, stock options and equity stakes. This legislation builds on years of advocacy from PowHer New York’s Equal Pay Campaign, Legal Momentum and others who have long fought to make pay equity a reality for working New Yorkers.

These basic disclosures can benefit workers and businesses alike. On the one hand, they allow workers to identify and challenge inequities, while enabling employers to fix disparities before they are ever asked about them. On the other hand, pay transparency requirements have been shown to attract a stronger applicant pool.

Research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that nearly 70% of employers who post pay ranges receive more applicants, and 66% say it increases the quality of those applicants. Employers also report that transparency makes them more competitive in attracting top talent, while building greater trust with current employees. In short, openness about pay does not just close gaps—it helps organizations recruit, retain, and engage the strongest workforce possible.

Other states and cities are already leading the way. Colorado, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island require disclosure of pay ranges to existing employees. Several states—including Illinois, Maryland, and Minnesota—mandate disclosure of benefits and other forms of compensation. New York City should not lag behind when the tools to advance equity are this clear.

Pay secrecy hits women and people of color hardest. Decades of discriminatory practices mean these workers often start from a lower baseline salary and have less leverage to negotiate. Without transparency, inequities compound year after year, cutting into lifetime earnings and retirement savings. Women have already lost trillions of dollars in earnings due to pay inequity. 

And the stakes are getting higher. Across the country, we’re seeing a targeted rollback of anti-discrimination protections at the federal level. In this climate, cities must act boldly to defend and advance equity.

Passing Introduction 808 is about more than checking a box on fairness—it’s about whether we will give workers the information they need to stand on equal footing. Transparency is the foundation of accountability, and accountability is how we close the wage gap for good.

For every woman who has quietly suspected she’s earning less than the man at the next desk, for every worker who has been told “we don’t talk about salaries here,” and for every family whose financial security has been undermined by secrecy—this bill is for you.

Let’s pass Introduction 808 this year and give New Yorkers the transparency they deserve.