On June 10, 2015, the New York City Council passed the NYC Fair Chance Act (the Act) in a landslide vote. The Act amends the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) to prohibit private employers in New York City with four or more employees from inquiring into or otherwise considering an applicant’s criminal background history prior to extending a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. In 2011, Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a law that prohibits New York City government employers from asking applicants during the initial application process whether they have been convicted of a crime. The Act now extends that law to private employers with at least four employees and “bans the box” that is commonly found on job applications by which employers inquire into applicants’ criminal histories.

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