Governor Steve Bullock is calling on Montana businesses to do more to close the wage gap between men and women.
Bullock signed an executive order on Monday in Helena encouraging companies that contract with the state to follow best practices for equal pay.
Among the recommendations: including salary ranges in job postings, and not asking applicants about their previous wages.
State leaders are also launching a new campaign to bring awareness to the pay gap.
The campaign asks that businesses take a pledge to help close the gap.
On a website devoted to the topic, Bullock says:
Here in Montana, women are earning only 67 percent of what men earn, putting Montana at 39th place for pay equity in the nation. I’d match the Montana work ethic up against any other state in the nation, and 39st place for pay equity is unacceptable. Since I believe that ALL of Montana’s workers deserve a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work, I established the Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force to meet this challenge head on.
