Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law
The Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law is intended to increase equity and transparency in pay in the Commonwealth. Generally, the law requires covered employers to disclose pay ranges in job postings, share pay ranges when employees are offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities, and provide pay ranges to employees and applicants upon request, as applicable. These requirements go into effect on October 29, 2025.
What Does the Law Require?
Brandeis and other covered employers are required to:
- Include the pay range in all job postings, regardless of where the job is posted;
- Job posting is defined as “any advertisement or job posting intended to recruit job applicants, including, but not limited to, recruitment done directly by a covered employer or indirectly through a third party.”
- Provide the pay range to a current employee who is offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities; and
- Provide the pay range for a specific position to an employee holding that position, or to an applicant for that position, upon request.
What Is a Pay Range?
For purposes of the Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law, a pay range is the annual salary range or hourly wage range that the University reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for such a position at that time.
Effective October 29, 2025, various roles at the University will play an important part in helping to ensure our compliance with the MA Pay Transparency Law. They are described below for Staff employees, Faculty employees and Postdoctoral Associates.
What Is My Role in Implementing the New Requirements for Staff Employees?
Talent Specialists and Hiring Managers:
- Ensure all job postings include the appropriate pay range.
- Be sure to disclose the pay range for the job:
- upon request by an applicant, or
- When an employee is offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities.
Managers:
- Contact your Talent Specialist (for posted positions), and/or HR/Compensation to obtain relevant pay ranges as needed.
- Provide the pay range:
- When an employee is offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities.
- To employees who request the pay range for their position (this is already University practice).
- Serve as primary contact for Employees’ questions, consulting with HR.
HR/Compensation:
- Provide hiring ranges to an employee’s manager, as applicable, such as upon an employee’s request and/or if an employee is offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities.
- Provide talking points to HR Business Partners and/or managers to respond to employees’ questions.
Employees:
- Your manager remains your primary contact for any pay related questions. The context for a pay conversation is often broader than requesting more money or a new title. Managers are able to have a more complete conversation, including considering future development opportunities. Your HR Business Partner is another resource to help navigate conversations with your manager. And you may find this information about the Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law helpful.
What Is My Role in Implementing the New Requirements for Faculty Employees?
Provost’s Office/Faculty Affairs:
- Provide information on pay ranges to deans and department chairs.
- Ensure all job postings include the appropriate pay range.
- Be sure to disclose the pay range for the job:
- upon request by an applicant, or
- When a faculty member is offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities.
Deans and Department Chairs:
- Contact Faculty Affairs to obtain relevant pay ranges as needed.
- Provide the pay range:
- When an employee is offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities.
- To employees who request the pay range for their position (this is already University practice).
- Serve as primary contact for Faculty questions, consulting with Provost’s Office/Faculty Affairs.
Faculty:
- Your department remains your primary contact for any pay - and activity - related questions. Your Dean and Provost are also available for additional discussions. And you may find this information about the Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law helpful. General information for Faculty is found here: Faculty Affairs.
What Is My Role in Implementing the New Requirements for Postdoctoral Associates?
Office of Postdoctoral Scholars:
- Provide information on pay ranges to faculty hiring Postdocs.
- Help prospective postdoc mentors to distinguish Postdoctoral Fellows from Postdoctoral Associates. The law applies only to Postdoctoral Associates.
- Work with faculty to ensure that any job postings include the appropriate pay range.
- Be sure to disclose the pay range for the job:
- upon request by an applicant, or
- When a Postdoc is offered a reappointment or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities.
Faculty:
- Contact the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars to obtain relevant pay ranges as needed.
- Provide the pay range:
- When an employee is offered a promotion or transfer to a new position with different job responsibilities.
- To employees who request the pay range for their position (this is already University practice).
- Serve as primary contact for Postdoc questions, consulting with the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars.
Postdocs:
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Your supervisor remains your primary contact for any pay - and activity - related questions. Your Dean and Provost are also available for additional discussions. And you may find this information about the Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law helpful. General information for Postdocs is found here: Office of Postdoctoral Scholars.