Dive Brief:

• Illinois will not join the growing list of states banning employers from asking job applicants about their salary history, as the state senate failed to override the governor's veto of its salary history bill Thursday.
• The governor vetoed the bill in August but its proponents were hopeful they could garner enough votes to override his decision.
• Several other states and various cities have adopted such laws, citing the need to remedy the gender pay gap. Basing workers' salaries on their previous pay perpetuates that disparity, proponents say.

Dive Insight:

A number of other states and cities have adopted such bans, hoping to end pay discrimination and close the gender pay gap.

But some, like Illinois', have faced uphill battles. Philadelphia, for example, agreed to stay its law until a legal challenge is resolved. Businesses feel that such bans hurt their ability to hire and compete for talent.

Employers operating in states with such bans should remove any pay history questions from job applications and be sure to training employees who interview job candidates, attorneys say.