How Colorado’s Salary Laws Sparked a Global Push for Open Pay

Colorado cracked open the culture of secrecy around salaries when it started forcing employers to include pay ranges in job postings. It also sparked an international trend.

Since the state’s rule took effect in 2021, about a dozen other states across the US have adopted similar requirements, and the European Union will follow suit later this year.

Pay-transparency laws aim to make it easier for workers to gauge their worth in the labor market and compare job opportunities. They’re also meant to make it harder for employers to underpay people who might not fully grasp their bargaining power, one driver of the gender ...