Pennsylvania employers must navigate strict rules when using criminal background checks, balancing workplace safety with fair hiring laws. State requirements limit how convictions may be considered, mandate compliance with the Clean Slate Law, local ban-the-box…
Posts by Category: Background Check Laws
What’s Changing in 2026: New Rules for Criminal Background Checks
Starting in 2026, several U.S. jurisdictions are tightening criminal background check rules. Washington, Philadelphia, Virginia, and D.C. require post-offer inquiries, individualized assessments, and limit which convictions employers can consider. Automatic…
$2.4M PeopleFacts Settlement Ends Lawsuit Over Alleged Employment Background Check Violations
PeopleFacts will pay $2.4 million to settle a class action alleging it failed to provide timely notice to consumers when reporting potentially negative employment data. The settlement covers 21,047 U.S. individuals affected between November 2021 and June 2025, with…
Employer to Settle Allegations It Asked Job Seekers 150 Medical Questions
California job applicants settled claims against U.S. Healthworks over a pre-employment health questionnaire with 150 non-job-related medical questions. The settlement provides $1 per class member for 172,070 applicants, totaling $172,070, which will go to Legal Aid…
Texas Weed Laws: What You Need to Know
Texas expanded medical marijuana access under House Bill 46, allowing more patients and new consumptionmethods, while keeping strict THC limits and doctor approval. A vape ban restricts marketing and sales of certain ecigarettes and fully bans THC vapes. Meanwhile, a…
The ABCs of CBD? Kind of … 8th Circuit Affirms Termination of Employee Failing Drug Test for Hemp Pain Oil
The 8th Circuit upheld an employer’s right to terminate an employee who tested positive for THC after using CBD oil,based on Arkansas’ at-will employment policy. State laws vary on protections for medical or recreational marijuanause, with some prohibiting adverse…
Spokane Approves First Ban the Address Ordinance in the Country
Spokane, Washington, has enacted the nation’s first “Ban the Address” ordinance, aiming to reduce employmentbarriers for individuals experiencing homelessness. Passed unanimously by the City Council, the law prohibitsemployers from inquiring about an…
Avoid EEOC Complaints
Although criminal histories can be among the most important for identifying potentially problematic employees, recent EEOC Guidelines elaborate on the use of criminal histories in hiring practices, and should not be ignored. These guidelines have made it incumbent…
The “Gold Standard”
Many businesses mistakenly believe that the FBI database is the “gold standard” for identifying those with criminal records. But, the FBI database only includes criminal records that have a fingerprint associated with them, and many from the state or county level do…
Navigating Drug Testing Laws in Each State
As drug legalization gains traction across the U.S., drug testing laws vary by state. Only five states have strong workplace drug testing legislation, and 11 states lack any laws on the matter. Since 2012, 19 states, plus Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational…







