Legal question about negotiating wages

I'm no lawyer, but why would you have a legal obligation to disclose that information?

Now, if asked, I'm not sure how you gracefully deflect the question. I would probably just answer honestly, but emphasize why you think you deserve a raise with some well-rehearsed reasoning.

Company's can call and verify information such as pay? That's messed up.

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And I've had people call my office before asking to look at a former employee's file and verify their pay scale. So maybe there is a legal obligation to disclose that.

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there's no legal obligation, in fact many large companies have strict policies regarding releasing any information on former employes, outside of a simple employment verification.

As far as the application goes, it's a tough call. It really depends on where you are in the process, if you've already established a relationship with the hiring manager you can be a little more vague. If you're worried that your former employer would release that information to the new company's HR department, you might have to think a little harder. Knowing their policy would be wise.

Also, don't forget to mention any sick, personal and/or vacation time per year as such is considered part of one's salary/benefits package as well as a college/education subsidy if it applies to your employment. A company vehicle or auto allowance should also be mentioned as well as any other benefits such as reimbursement of moving expenses, child care assistance, etc..

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Do I legally have to tell them what I was making at my previous job?

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You could tell them legally that you worked on Mars. They dont have to hire you though.

Catman - a prospective employer can ask for your current salary.

Will Cover gave a good answer at 7:30 this morning.

Dance with them to see where they are headed. I have been surprised before that the Company had more $$ for the position than I initially thought.

Here is one thing I never understood. If you are looking for another job while employed then how does a company do a background check with the previous employers? If its not a huge company there can be serious backlash on the candidate if he isnt hired.

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Will Cover gave a good answer at 7:30 this morning.

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no offense but that was a horrible answer more suited for buying a used car. If you don't have a job and need one, you have very little leverage unless you have a very unique skill set or access to a hard-to-get customer base, etc, especially as competitive as most job markets are these days.

If someone ask me my previous salary I would answer something like "you know, I'll consider any offer and from the research I've done it appears that your company offers comp plans similar to those I've worked for in the past"...all depends on how the conversation is going with the interviewer. Best case is you can tell they'd like to hire you but you have another offer in your back pocket to dangle in front of them.