Increased Job Posting Transparency Required

Starting January 1, 2026, Senate Bill (SB) 642 tightens California’s pay-equity and transparency rules. Employers must include a genuine, good-faith salary range in every job posting, not a placeholder or open-ended figure.

The law also expands the Equal Pay Act by adding “another sex” as a protected category and broadening “wages” to include bonuses, benefits, stock options, and allowances. It lengthens the statute of limitations for pay-equity claims, increasing long-term exposure for employers and the need for careful compensation audits.