Heads up Columbus, Ohio employers: you will soon be subject to a new pay transparency law. Although Ohio is typically an employer-friendly market and I would not expect the state to pass such a law, Columbus passed a pay transparency law on Nov. 4, 2025 that goes into effect on Dec. 3, 2025.
Employers with 15 or more employees in the city will need to update their job postings to include a reasonable salary range. Moreover, covered employers will be prohibited from asking applicants about their salary history, relying on applicants’ salary history to decide whether to extend a job offer, or refusing to hire applicants for failing to disclose their salary history.
Although the law will be effective on Dec. 3, 2025, it will not be enforced until Jan. 1, 2027, so employers have time to review their hiring practices and to modify their job posting structures in 2026.