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by Kaitlin L.H. Robidoux The White House is urging businesses to take the Fair Chance Business Pledge and commit to providing individuals with criminal records “a fair chance to participate in the American economy.” The idea behind the initiative is that individuals with a criminal history have trouble finding employment, and many communities are hurt […]
by Brittany E. McCabe A more far-reaching version of Philadelphia’s ban-the-box law covering all employers in the city is set to take effect March 14. On December 15, 2015, Mayor Michael Nutter signed an amended version of the city’s 2011 law that limits when employers can inquire about job applicants’ criminal background. Key changes include: […]
It can be hard to tell a real degree from a diploma mill degree, says expert Jason Morris. All recruiters should beware. Morris, who is president of EmployeeScreenIQ in Cleveland, Ohio, started his discussion of background checking with a review of his degrees. His résumé lists three, a Bachelor of Arts from Kent State, a […]
by Steven L. Brenneman Illinois employers need to be aware of a few new laws taking effect January 1. Ban the box One of the new laws, the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, prohibits most private-sector employers and employment agencies with 15 or more employees from asking applicants about their criminal histories and conducting […]
by Edward O. Sweeney Rochester, New York, will become the latest city to restrict employers’ ability to ask applicants about their criminal history when its ban-the-box ordinance takes effect November 18. Since many employers are hesitant to hire applicants with criminal histories, states and cities have begun passing laws that restrict employers from including a […]
by Jeffrey A. Gruen New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed the state’s “ban the box” legislation, meaning that most employers will be prohibited from asking applicants about their criminal histories until the conclusion of the first job interview. The legislature passed the Opportunity to Compete Act in June, and Christie signed it on August […]
by Andrew J. Sommer and Alka Ramchandani San Francisco’s new “ban the box” law, titled the Fair Chance Ordinance, will limit the timing and scope of inquiries into an applicant’s or employee’s criminal history when it takes effect August 13. In addition to banning inquiries into criminal history on job applications, the ordinance also places […]
by Steven L. Brenneman Fox, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, LLP On July 21, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, which will prohibit most private-sector employers and employment agencies with 15 or more employees from asking applicants about their criminal histories and conducting criminal background checks until after […]
by Whitney Brown A new Alabama law taking effect July 7 allows individuals to apply to have certain criminal proceedings expunged, meaning an applicant will be excused from disclosing the offense on employment applications. Offenses must be misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies, and charges must have been dismissed, been “no-billed” by a grand jury, been dismissed […]
by Molly DiBianca Delaware has joined the ranks of states adopting “ban the box” laws, measures that limit how employers can request criminal history information during the hiring process. Delaware’s law, signed into law by Governor Jack Markell on May 8, makes criminal histories and credit scores off limits on applications for public-sector jobs. Here […]