Ohio maintains extremely limited wage transparency requirements that apply only to a narrow subset of workers – specifically minor employees who experience wage reductions. The Ohio pay transparency law framework is among the most restrictive in the nation, with no comprehensive salary posting requirements, no wage discussion protections for most workers, and minimal notification requirements that cover only specific circumstances for underage employees.
Here’s what you need to know about Ohio’s minimal wage transparency requirements and how they compare to the broader national trend toward comprehensive pay transparency legislation.
Core Law & Compliance
What Is the Ohio Pay Transparency Law? (2025 Update)
Ohio does not have a comprehensive pay transparency law requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings, protecting employee wage discussions, or mandating general wage notifications for adult employees. Instead, the state maintains extremely limited wage notification requirements found in Ohio Revised Code Section 4109.10.
The only specific wage transparency requirement applies exclusively to minor employees, requiring employers to provide at least 24 hours’ written notice of any wage reduction, followed by a new written agreement that must be signed after the reduction takes effect.
Ohio’s approach represents one of the most minimal regulatory frameworks in the nation, providing virtually no worker protections for the vast majority of employees and addressing only a narrow circumstance affecting underage workers.
Ohio Salary Posting Requirements for Employers
Ohio has no requirements for employers to include salary ranges, compensation information, or benefits details in job postings for any category of workers. Unlike states with comprehensive pay transparency mandates, Ohio employers face no legal obligation to disclose wages in job advertisements.
This complete absence of posting requirements means job seekers in Ohio must navigate the entire application and interview process without any upfront salary information, relying entirely on traditional negotiation methods to determine compensation expectations.
The lack of salary posting requirements places Ohio among the states with the most limited transparency frameworks, providing no proactive compensation disclosure benefits to job seekers, employees, or any category of workers.
When Did/Does the Ohio Pay Transparency Law Take Effect?
Ohio’s extremely limited wage notification requirement under Section 4109.10 represents long-standing legislation focused specifically on minor employee protections rather than general transparency reforms.
The state has not enacted comprehensive pay transparency legislation or moved toward the robust transparency requirements seen in other states, maintaining its approach of minimal regulation in wage disclosure matters.
Ohio has shown no legislative momentum toward comprehensive pay transparency reforms, keeping the state’s framework among the most restrictive in the nation.
Employer Responsibilities
Which Employers Must Comply With the Ohio Pay Transparency Law?
Ohio’s wage notification requirements apply only to employers who employ minor workers and only when those employers plan to reduce wages for underage employees. This creates an extremely narrow scope of coverage that excludes the vast majority of employment relationships.
Employers who do not employ minor workers have no wage transparency obligations under Ohio state law. Additionally, employers of minor workers only face obligations when implementing wage reductions, not for general wage notifications or other transparency measures.
The limited scope means that most Ohio employers have no state-level wage transparency compliance obligations, creating one of the most minimal regulatory frameworks in the country.
Ohio Pay Transparency Thresholds by Employer Size
Ohio’s requirements do not vary based on employer size but rather on the extremely narrow circumstances of employing minor workers and reducing their wages.
- Employers of Minor Workers: Must provide 24 hours’ written notice of wage reductions and obtain new signed agreements (Ohio Rev. Code § 4109.10)
- All Other Employers: Have no wage transparency obligations under Ohio state law
The circumstance-based rather than size-based approach creates an unusual framework that leaves the overwhelming majority of Ohio’s workforce without any state-level wage transparency protections.
Penalties for Violating the Ohio Pay Transparency Law
Ohio’s enforcement mechanisms for the limited wage notification requirement affecting minor employees are not clearly defined with specific penalty structures like those found in comprehensive pay transparency states.
Violations of the minor employee notification requirement may be addressed through Ohio’s child labor enforcement framework, though the available remedies and enforcement mechanisms are extremely limited compared to comprehensive transparency states.
The narrow scope of Ohio’s requirements means enforcement relates only to failures to provide required notice for wage reductions affecting minor employees, representing one of the most limited enforcement frameworks in the nation.
Employee Rights & Impact
What Employees Should Know About the Ohio Pay Transparency Law
Ohio employees have virtually no rights under the state’s minimal wage transparency framework. Adult employees have no state-level protections related to wage transparency, including no rights to wage notifications, salary posting information, or wage discussion protections.
Minor employees have extremely limited rights that apply only when their employers plan to reduce their wages, entitling them to at least 24 hours’ written notice and requiring a new written agreement after the reduction.
The vast majority of Ohio employees – all adult workers and minor workers not experiencing wage reductions – have no state-level transparency protections and must rely entirely on federal protections or voluntary employer practices.
Employee Rights Under Ohio Salary Posting Law
Since Ohio has no salary posting requirements for any category of workers, employees and job seekers have no rights to compensation information in job advertisements. This complete absence of posting requirements places Ohio workers at a significant disadvantage compared to their counterparts in transparency states.
Ohio employees’ rights are among the most limited in the nation, with virtually no state-level transparency protections for the overwhelming majority of workers and minimal protections even for the narrow category of minor employees.
The absence of meaningful rights means Ohio employees must rely entirely on traditional information-gathering methods when evaluating job opportunities, with no state-mandated transparency benefits.
How the Ohio Pay Transparency Law Helps Reduce Wage Gaps
Ohio’s extremely minimal wage transparency requirements provide virtually no impact on reducing wage gaps. With no salary posting requirements, no wage discussion protections, and no comprehensive transparency measures for adult workers, the state’s framework does nothing to address information asymmetries that contribute to pay disparities.
The limited protection for minor employees experiencing wage reductions addresses only a narrow procedural issue and affects a tiny fraction of the workforce, providing no systematic approach to wage equity.
Ohio’s approach means wage gaps may persist and potentially worsen due to the complete absence of transparency measures that could help workers identify and address pay disparities across the vast majority of employment relationships.
HR & Legal Best Practices
How HR Teams Can Comply With Ohio Pay Transparency Law
HR teams at organizations employing minor workers should ensure compliance with the limited notification requirement for wage reductions affecting underage employees.
For employers of minor workers, establish procedures to provide at least 24 hours’ written notice before implementing wage reductions and ensure that new written agreements are signed after reductions take effect, as required by Ohio Revised Code Section 4109.10.
Given Ohio’s virtually non-existent transparency requirements, forward-thinking HR teams should strongly consider adopting voluntary transparency practices to remain competitive in the national job market and demonstrate organizational commitment to pay equity.
Updating Job Postings to Meet Ohio Salary Transparency Rules
Since Ohio imposes no salary posting requirements on any employers for any positions, there are no legal obligations to include compensation information in job advertisements. Employers have complete discretion regarding whether to provide salary details in postings.
However, employers competing for talent in a national market should strongly consider voluntarily including salary ranges to attract candidates who have become accustomed to upfront compensation information from employers in transparency states.
Job postings should focus on compliance with other applicable employment laws while considering competitive positioning in the broader job market where transparency is increasingly expected by candidates and may become a significant competitive advantage.
Does the Ohio Pay Transparency Law Apply to Remote or Hybrid Workers?
Ohio’s extremely limited wage transparency requirements apply only to minor employees experiencing wage reductions, regardless of work arrangement. The vast majority of remote, hybrid, and in-person workers in Ohio have no state-level wage transparency protections.
For the narrow category of minor employees, the wage reduction notification requirement would apply regardless of work arrangement, but this affects an extremely small portion of Ohio’s workforce.
The absence of meaningful requirements means that remote and hybrid workers in Ohio have virtually no state-level wage transparency protections, depending entirely on federal protections or voluntary employer practices.
Comparison and Broader Context
How Ohio Pay Transparency Rules Compare With California and New York
Ohio’s approach to wage transparency represents the most limited framework possible when compared to comprehensive laws in California and New York. While California requires detailed salary disclosure in job postings from covered employers, Ohio has no posting requirements for any workers.
New York’s robust salary posting mandates, wage discussion protections, and comprehensive coverage create a stark contrast with Ohio’s virtually non-existent framework that provides minimal protection only for minor employees experiencing wage reductions.
The gap between Ohio and leading transparency states represents the widest possible disparity in worker protections, demonstrating the extreme variation in state approaches to pay equity and worker rights.
Federal Pay Transparency Requirements vs. Ohio Law
Given Ohio’s virtually non-existent state requirements, federal protections become crucial for Ohio workers. Federal contractors in Ohio benefit from federal salary disclosure requirements that far exceed what Ohio state law provides.
The National Labor Relations Act provides wage discussion protections for private sector employees that Ohio law does not offer for adult workers, making federal law the primary source of transparency-related worker rights in the state.
Ohio’s minimal framework demonstrates how inadequate state-level legislation can leave workers almost entirely dependent on federal protections and highlights the critical importance of potential federal pay transparency legislation.
Pay Transparency Laws by State: Where Does Ohio Stand?
Ohio ranks at the bottom of state rankings for pay transparency protections, with one of the most minimal frameworks in the nation. The state’s approach contrasts sharply with the growing national trend toward comprehensive salary disclosure requirements.
While numerous states have enacted or are considering robust pay transparency legislation, Ohio has shown no movement toward transparency reforms, leaving workers with virtually no rights compared to their counterparts in progressive states.
Ohio’s position represents the most restrictive approach to pay transparency in the nation, illustrating the extreme need for federal legislation to ensure basic worker protections across all jurisdictions.
FAQs About the Ohio Pay Transparency Law
Do small businesses need to comply with Ohio pay transparency law?
Ohio employers only have wage transparency obligations if they employ minor workers and plan to reduce those workers’ wages, requiring 24 hours’ written notice and new signed agreements. Employers who don’t employ minors or who aren’t reducing minor employees’ wages have no transparency obligations. Ohio has no salary posting requirements for businesses of any size.
How should employers update existing job postings?
Ohio does not require salary information in job postings for any positions, so employers have no legal obligation to update job advertisements with compensation details. However, employers should strongly consider including salary ranges voluntarily to remain competitive with employers in transparency states and attract candidates who expect upfront compensation information.
Are salary ranges required for internal postings as well as external ones?
Ohio has no requirements for salary ranges in either internal or external job postings for any category of workers. The state’s extremely limited requirements focus only on wage reduction notifications for minor employees, not on proactive salary disclosure in job advertisements or internal promotion opportunities.
What happens if employers fail to disclose salaries?
Since Ohio does not require salary disclosure in job postings or other proactive transparency measures for any workers, there are no penalties for failing to include compensation information in advertisements. However, employers who fail to provide required notice for wage reductions affecting minor employees may face enforcement action, though specific penalties are not clearly defined.
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