Utah joins 'ban the box' movement

‘ban the box’ movement, which has rapidly spread across the country over the last couple of years. Under the new law (HB 156), job applicants who’ve been convicted of a crime won’t have to disclose their criminal record before some job interviews. While the legislation in it’s current format applies only to government jobs, many believe that private employers will also adopt similar measures. “You at least need to get the foot in the door,” said Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, who sponsored the law. “My goal is to have the person get into the interview based on their qualifications.” Many have advocated for ‘ban the box’ measures in recent months and years, with such legislation now regularly appearing in the news. In fact, ‘ban the box’ legislation has now embraced by 28 states and more than 150 cities across the US. In addition to Utah, the most recent addition, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin have passed similar laws. The new law in Utah will take effect May 9, 2017.]]>