Sector News

Johnson & Johnson among companies excluding Colorado residents from remote job openings after new state law

June 19, 2021
Life sciences

A senior manager in operations at Johnson & Johnson. A sales specialist at McKesson. A manager for international tax planning at Cardinal Health.

What do these recent postings for remote jobs have in common?

All specify that those who live in Colorado need not apply.

The issue, it seems, is Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which requires companies to disclose the pay range for job openings. The goal of the new law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, is to narrow gender wage disparities by in part forcing salary transparency. Instead, companies that prefer not to disclose pay are barring remote workers from the state.

The second paragraph of Johnson & Johnson’s posting, for example, reads: “Work location is flexible if approved by the company except that position may not be performed remotely from Colorado.”

Cardinal’s notice is buried at the end of its posting. “This role is to be filled outside the state of Colorado,” it reads, just before the company explains that it is “an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.”

Cardinal declined comment. Attempts by email to reach J&J and McKesson were unsuccessful.

On a makeshift website, ColoradoExcluded.com, Aaron Batilo, a software engineer from Commerce City, has compiled a list of companies that exclude Colorado residents on job postings. Among the companies listed are Twitter, Hilton, Insperity, Cigna, GoDaddy and Nike, which said on several job notices that “Colorado candidates will be required to relocate.”

“It looks to me like these companies are intentionally excluding potential employees right here in the state where we still need these jobs because they don’t want to have to post their salary information,” Colorado state Sen. Jessie Danielson (D), who sponsored the new legislation, told KUSA-TV in Denver.

But according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, companies from outside the state that exclude Colorado residents are not breaking the law.

“They’re beyond the jurisdiction of Colorado statutes,” Scott Moss, the statistics director for CDLE, told KUSA.

Moss told The Wall Street Journal that companies that don’t have any employees in Colorado are not subject to the requirement to divulge a pay range when posting a job. But if an employer has any presence in the state, it is required to disclose salary information, even for a remote job.

by Kevin Dunleavy

Source: fiercepharma.com

comments closed

Related News

April 26, 2024

Former Bristol Myers CEO tapped as Novartis’ next board chair

Life sciences

Giovanni Caforio, the former CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, is set to become the next board chairman of Novartis, which on Tuesday proposed the pharmaceutical industry veteran as its pick to replace Joerg Reinhardt in the role next year. Reinhardt has served as Novartis’ chair since 2013 and plans to retire when his 12-year term ends in 2025.

April 26, 2024

GE HealthCare launches voice-activated, AI-powered ultrasound machines for women’s health

Life sciences

GE HealthCare has raised the curtain on two ultrasound systems equipped with artificial intelligence programs designed to assist in diagnosing conditions in women’s health, including obstetric exams. The Voluson Signature 20 and 18 imaging systems include AI tools capable of automatically identifying and annotating measurements of fetal anatomy.

April 26, 2024

Scientists reveal new method that could reduce waste from drug manufacturing

Life sciences

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Chemistry have revealed a new sustainable method of manufacturing complex molecules that could reduce waste produced during drug production. The method published in Nature Chemistry could help to prevent severe side effects caused by drugs that can exist as enantiomers.

How can we help you?

We're easy to reach