A California appellate court affirmed an award of emotional distress to two employees who felt pressured to submit to a random drug test. The Court reasoned that the random drug test administered in this case violated a fundamental right to privacy, which is protected…
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Positive Workplace Drug Test Results on the Rise for Second Straight Year, Study Finds
For the second year in a row, the percentage of American workers testing positive for illegal drugs has increased, according to a study conducted by Quest Diagnostics. Quest Diagnostics’ Drug Testing Index (DTI) – an annual analysis of workplace drug…
Federal Law Trumps Colorado Medical Marijuana Protections
Colorado workers who use medical marijuana and engage in other activities permitted by state law but not federal law are not protected by the state’s “lawful activities statute,” the Colorado Supreme Court ruled. In Brandon Coats v. Dish Network…
District Court Holds that Mailing Pre-Adverse and Adverse Action Letters Five Business Days Apart is Plausible FCRA Claim When it Conflicts with Content of Pre-Adverse Action Letter
In Moore v. Rite Aid Headquarters, the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled that the plaintiff had stated a plausible employment adverse action claim under the FCRA. In doing so, the Court’s decision raises questions about a widely…
Ohio ‘Bans the Box’ on State Applications
Starting June 1, criminal offenders in Ohio will no longer have to check a box requiring them to reveal past convictions on state civil service job applications. Questions regarding prior convictions will be removed from thousands of applications for state government…
New York City Passes Ban-the-Box Legislation Affecting Private Employers
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…
Food Lion Job Applicants Class Action Settlement
An almost $3 million class action settlement was reached with Food Lion LLC and its parent company Delhaize America LLC to resolve allegations that the company used illegal background check procedures on its job applications, in violation of federal law. The Food Lion…
Employers Can Check Applicants’ LinkedIn References Without Violating the FCRA
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California recently dismissed a proposed class action alleging that LinkedIn was a Consumer Reporting Agency (CSA) under the FCRA and violated the law when it provided an online feature that allows…
Cook County, Illinois Amends Human Rights Ordinance to Limit Credit Checks
Cook County, Illinois enacted a bill (No. 15-3088) that amends the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance to restrict employers from asking about or otherwise considering a prospective or current employee’s credit history in employment decisions. The new ordinance…
Revisiting FCRA Requirements
A recent spate of class-action suits should remind employers and HR of the steep cost of FCRA violations. Experts say the time is right for employers to reassess their background-checking processes-and the role staffing and consumer reporting agencies play in those…




