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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Defense Dept. to randomly screen employees with security clearances

has announced that they will begin the implementation of random background checks for department personnel who hold security clearances. The department previously has only run background checks prior to hiring, and when security clearances must be renewed; this can mean that a significant length of time — up to 10 years — can pass between…

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Texas county offers free criminal background checks

the county’s district clerk offers free criminal background checks for the county’s residents. Because the county records are matters of public record, anyone could acquire this information by going to or calling the county clerk’s office. Now, you can simply go to hcdistrictclerk.com and cut out the middleman. The county has records from 1977 onward…

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Colorado gun bill dead

After Colorado passed a law expanding the background check process required for purchasing firearms last March, a new bill was introduced attempting to roll back checks for private and online gun sales. The law was signed eight months after the July 2012 mass shooting in an Aurora movie theater, in which a lone gunman opened…

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New proposed background screen regulations for gun purchases

Both the federal government and state lawmakers have been working to regulate mental health requirements and background screen requirements for those who wish to purchase firearms. These requirements are expected to protect citizens from injuring themselves or others by preventing the mentally ill or those who have been charged or convicted of a crime from…

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State of Texas sues over EEOC guidelines on hiring felons

filed suit against the EEOC, saying the state’s hiring guidelines limit employers from excluding convicted felons from employment to ensure that they do no hold positions of public trust. On April 25, 2012, the EEOC approved an updated ‘Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of…

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Seattle becomes latest city to “Ban the Box”

Ordinance 124201 seeks to “increase public safety and job assistance through reducing criminal recidivism and enhancing positive reentries to society by prohibiting certain adverse employment actions against individuals who have been arrested, convicted, or charged with a crime; and adding Chapter 14.17 to the Seattle Municipal Code.” The legislation will prohibit employers from automatically excluding individuals…

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