New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed the Opportunity to Compete Act, also known as “Ban the Box” legislation. The law will go into effect March 1, 2015 and applies to New Jersey employers with 15 or more employees. Under the law, employers may not post job advertisements indicating that people that have been arrested Read more
The city of Columbia is the first city in Missouri to pass the “ban the box” ordinance. The ordinance that took effect December 1st was designed to make it easier for people with prior criminal backgrounds to compete in the job market. Employers in Columbia are now prohibited from asking applicants about criminal histories or Read more
August 13, 2014 the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (FCO) becomes effective. Under the ordinance, covered employers must follow strict rules regarding applicants’ and employees’ arrest and conviction record(s) and information related to such records, as well as, post notice in the workplace for employees and applicants to view. This new ordinance applies to employers Read more
The New Jersey legislature has approved to new bills that will affect New Jersey employers’ hiring practices. These measures are: “Ban the box”— a law that would prohibit employers from inquiring about job candidates’ criminal histories during the initial hiring process; and Discrimination against the unemployed— a law that would prohibit employers from considering applicants’ Read more
Illinois’ new “Ban the Box” law will soon give workers a second chance when it comes to landing a job. The law prohibits private employers or employment agencies in Illinois from asking about the criminal histories of applicants until they are deemed qualified and selected for interviews or receive a conditional offer of employment. In Read more
Removing barriers to employment for people with criminal records has been a topic highly debated and actively legislated. Twelve states and over 60 cities and counties currently embrace “Banning the Box”, which removes one question from hiring-related forms – the query about past criminal history. Back in 1998 Hawaii got the movement started by being Read more
“Ban the box” is a term that refers to legislation that prohibits an employer from requiring applicants to disclose a criminal record or consent to a criminal background check on an initial job application. This month two cities, Baltimore (MD) and Rochester (NY) join several other jurisdictions that have enacted “ban the box” laws. The Read more
Recently the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed substantial amendments to the San Francisco Police Code by restricting use of criminal records by covered employers. Restriction with regard to employer inquiries about criminal records is widely termed “ban the box”. The Ban the Box Movement continues to gain momentum as states, cities and counties recognize Read more
Beginning Nov. 1, 2013, the City of Seattle will limit employers’ ability to use criminal history information in hiring and employment decisions. Key provisions of a new ordinance (No. 124201) include: Initial screening: During the initial screening process, employers cannot perform a criminal background check or ask about an applicant’s criminal history, even on a Read more
