Amendments to Philadelphia’s “Ban the Box” legislation, the Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards, were signed into law by Mayor Michael Nutter on December 15, 2015. The amendments to Philadelphia’s ordinance, which take effect on March 14, 2016, expand the reach of existing law to more businesses. They also restrict the look-back period for background checks and reliance on criminal records as a basis for rejecting applicants for employment, imposing new obligations and legal risk on employers doing business in Philadelphia.Employers in Philadelphia will have to comply with the host of new obligations associated with the application and background check process. Employers should review their existing procedures pertaining to background checks and make revisions where necessary.

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