Could it become illegal for employers to ask for an applicants current salary in a job interview?

Could a new law - currently applied in Massachusetts, USA - that makes it illegal for employers to ask jobseekers their current salary prior to offering them a position work in the UK?

The legislation was introduced this week in The Bay State and is now being held up as a model that could be applied elsewhere.

Speaking to Business Grapevine, Kevin Charles, Director and Barrister at Crossland Employment Solicitors, chats about how this could be applied in the UK. 

"The new law in Massachusetts is certainly well intentioned and a step in the right direction in seeking to reduce the gender pay gap," he says. "However, one of the reasons for the gender pay gap is that employers often undervalue women’s competence and ability to perform a role compared to their male counterparts, particularly in a male-dominated industry. The new law in Massachusetts will not necessarily address this because employers will still be able to make value judgements, based or influenced by gender, about what a potential candidate is worth and what they are willing to pay, without knowing what they were earning previously.