NYC considers ban-the-box legislation more stringent than most for employers

In mid-December, the New York City Council introduced a proposal for the city’s own ban-the-box laws, just months after it introduced a bill that would prevent city employers from using credit checks against job candidates. (That bill is still being debated.) Over the previous years, employers in the state have not been able to refuse…

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Will your state enact ban-the-box laws in 2015?

In 2014, several states and metro areas instated laws that prohibit public employers from immediately disqualifying candidates that carry a criminal record. An employee criminal history disclosure is no longer required on initial job applications in Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Delaware, all of which passed ban-the-box laws this year, as did cities in New…

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Washington D.C. latest to ban the box on job applications

At the beginning of September, Washington D.C. passed its own ban-the-box law, joining the ranks of many other cities and states in preventing employers from requiring job applicants to state whether or not they have ever been convicted of a crime on an initial job application or during a first interview. The new law, called…

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Senior communities may fall through the cracks under ban-the-box laws

nursing homes and retirement care facilities are supposed to conduct background checks on the nurses and healthcare aides that work with the elderly, senior living retirement communities have different requirements under the law. Independent senior living communities are those communities in which residents live in their own homes within a specified neighborhood, and meet for…

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Delaware, Baltimore pass ban-the-box legislation

Add the state of Delaware and the city of Baltimore, Md., to the list of cities and states that have passed “ban the box” legislation. Delaware is now the 12th state to officially pass statewide ban-the-box laws. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed an order on May 8 prohibiting public-sector employers from asking about or conducting criminal…

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Employee criminal history no longer a factor in Bed Bath and Beyond hiring

After a human resources manager from Bed Bath and Beyond represented the company at a job fair and distributed materials that stated that the company does not employ those with felony convictions, the New York state attorney general’s office launched an investigation to ensure that the retailer complies with anti-discrimination laws regarding employee criminal history.…

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Louisville unanimously passes ‘ban the box’ legislation

In a 26-0 vote, the Louisville Metro Council has approved legislation that will make Louisville, Ky., the latest to ban the box. Louisville joins cities such as Charlotte, N.C., San Francisco, and Seattle, as well as states including Rhode Island and California in their efforts against discrimination. This movement prevents employers from immediately disqualifying applicants…

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Charlotte ‘bans the box’ on initial job applications

Charlotte, N.C., joins with other large cities such as Seattle and San Francisco in their decision to “ban the box” by removing questions from job applications regarding an applicant’s criminal history. City job applicants were previously required to inform a potential employer if they had “ever pled guilty to, or been convicted of, a crime…

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