>> From now on Illinois companies will have to be more upfront about job descriptions.

Btw news reporter Amanda joins us now with more on a new state law and a happy new year.

So nice to have you started off the year.

Nicely with you as my first guest You know, you know very, very glad so many.

What's the long what's behind it?

>> Okay.

So it's been a while since I've applied for a job you to ensure we love working here at W T Tw.

But most of us have been there were.

>> You apply for a job?

Maybe even go through a couple of interviews only to be disappointed when at long last the salary is revealed should be happening anymore because of a new state law which took effect just yesterday.

It says all Illinois businesses with at least 15 employees have to include a pay range and other compensation details.

Now, as for the white, let's really moves policy VP at the organization women employed?

Explain.

>> When you discuss salary ranges openly, it becomes harder for bias.

Whether or not that bias is unconscious or conscious to employees pay positions.

And that means that we are ensuring that employees who are doing substantially similar work are being paid fairly.

That creates a more equitable workplace it stands.

There are gender disparities in pay.

Women paid less.

That has been the case really throughout history.

>> And it still is.

I would love to say >> that that is not the case now.

So was like this are needed.

But that is still the case.

Studies U.S. census data also the pay inequity continues and that women make less than men for the same work.

>> Has the equal pay manager with the Illinois Department of Labor East near Saint tracks.

Pay data and company's compliance with state laws.

For the first time in 2 decades Census data last year showed that gender pay gap widening, including in Illinois and particularly for Latinas.

Also older women face a larger wage gap.

Then younger women.

>> There's gender racial age discrimination at play.

>> Women are also.

>> Very open are over represented in low wage jobs in low-paid industries.

>> And very underrepresented when it comes to higher wage jobs.

>> Now, not to mention Joanna, the so-called motherhood penalty, and that is the practice of not being able to fully commit to work or advance in their careers because they are the ones who take on the bulk of care taking in domestic duties.

And Amanda, how exactly will it with this new law help to reverse that will sneers and says that really this is a matter of transparency and it's giving job seekers tools.

The law also requires companies to internally post opportunities for advancement.

>> lot of the hiring process.

A lot of the information is typically controlled by employers, right?

They they let out what they choose to let out.

And that's their choice.

This is an attempt to.

To to even things out a little bit in terms of control of information to let employees and job seekers know what actually is available for a possibility for that.

>> The 2025 LA is the latest Illinois statute that is intended to close the gender pay gap.

The state also requires many companies to report their salary data to the state.

And that's near Saint analyzes.

It also, businesses are banned from asking about job applicants salary history.

>> Part of the reason is because the wage gap will just follow us kind of throughout our careers.

If your current salary is based on what you were previously paid, what you're previously paid is affected by the gender wage gap.

So it's a it's a very simple, elegant solution.

And the new law is actually kind of a sister practice.

>> are says Illinois is among the states on the vanguard of using these tools to try to tackle the issue.

Both she and their son say it will, however, take some time to analyze how effective they are.

Both also point out that pay discrimination is illegal on the state and on the federal level, they both say that being up front about compensation should help businesses in that setting.

Early expectations will say everyone time in the hiring process.

Also boosting employee satisfaction and trust join as well as near since as the goal here not to punish.

But I want to point out that when this law actually passed in 2023 and then course couple of years, port taking effect here, a bunch businesses were opposed to it.

Thanks amended for the