Salary question on a job application?

I want to get support for a law to restrict potential employers from requiring you to provide past salary info on job applications, how is the best way to go about that?

• Recently I was asked, in an online application, to provide past salary information for previous jobs. The application went as far as to say that this info would be verified. I feel this question is intrusive and discriminatory because: 1. My salary with the potential employer should be based on how they value my skill-set or what they set the salary range for that position and not what someone else paid me. 2. People should have the right to improve their quality of life. 3. In a down economy some people are underemployed to make ends meet due to layoffs and job losses. 4. There is no guarantee that the employer is not using that info to determine what your value is or if you are valuable based on what you made.

• Answer:

  Depending on the state in which you reside, there's a third possibility that may be open to you - laws in some states can be created by Initiative.  Check with your Secretary of State's office to find out what the specific requirements are, but generally, the process is: File your Initiative with the Secretary of State (and pay filing fees); Obtain a certain number of signatures from citizens supporting your Initiative; Submit your signatures to the Secretary of State office for validation; If you have sufficient signatures, the Initiative moves to the next election ballot for a general vote. That's only going to get you as far as State law, but it should be a good step toward broader adoption of your goals.This answer is not a substitute for professional legal advice....