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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Caretaker background checks extend to pets

It makes perfect sense to have a background check run on a potential candidate when you’re looking for a nanny for your children. Pet Sitters International has taken it a step further, ensuring that all of their pet-sitting professionals undergo annual criminal history screenings so clients can ensure their fur-babies are in the best possible…

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North Carolina's new law on inquiries about expunged records

newly amended statute prohibits any inquiry that results in revealing an “expunged” arrest, charge or conviction. Although few employers ever expressly ask about expunged records, the concern is now much broader – employers must also not seek or ask about criminal histories in a manner that results in the disclosure of any expunged information. “North…

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How to perform a criminal reference check

criminal reference check. The truth is, quite a number of businesses don’t do this, and many of them have found that this is something they came to regret down the road. There are a plethora of different roles that require this type of background check, while others may not deem it necessary. Different state laws…

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Superstore Target bans the box in their employee application process

The initiative, part of a widespread “Ban the Box” movement across the country, calls for employers to wait until a potential employee is being interviewed or has a provisional job offer before inquiring as to whether they have a criminal past. The idea is that ex-offenders will have a better chance at getting a job if…

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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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Demand for criminal background checks at record level in Rhode Island

according to the Providence Journal. “Want to work as a massage therapist, schoolteacher, motorcycling instructor or caretaker in a nursing home? Need to bring your family to a homeless shelter? If the answer is yes, you’ll need to visit a police department or the attorney general’s office…where employees in the Bureau of Criminal Identification will…

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California enacts "Ban the Box" legislation

Assembly Bill 218 (AB 218), making California the most recent state to “Ban the Box”. The bill prohibits requesting criminal background information on the initial employment application for local and state government employees, with the goal of reducing unnecessary barriers to employment for the one in four adult Californians who have an arrest or conviction…

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New data breach reporting requirement takes hold in EU

That just changed in the 28 member-European Union (EU). As of Sunday, telecommunications and internet service providers in the EU have 24 hours from the moment of discovery to report a data breach to authorities. There are no stringent rules like that in place in the United States, where alerting requirements are promulgated through a…

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Certegy Check Services to pay $3.5 Million for alleged violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act

FTC’s complaint alleges, among other things, that Certegy did not follow proper dispute procedures. The complaint further alleges that Certegy failed to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information it provided to its merchant clients, as required by the FCRA. “Inaccurate information in a consumer reporting agency’s file can have a…

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