On March 14, 2016, Philadelphia’s so-calledban the box law, the Philadelphia Fair Criminal Records Screening Ordinance, became effective. With it came the release of a mandatory new posterrestating the major elements of what is now called Philadelphia’s Fair Chance…
Posts by Category: Criminal History Check
NJ Adopts Final Regulations on Criminal Background Inquiries
New Jersey has promulgated its final ban-the-box regulations, clarifying the law passed on March 1, 2015, which severely restricted public and private employers with 15 or more employees from inquiring into an applicant’s criminal background at the beginning of the…
California Considers Criminal History in Employment Decisions
Continuing the nationwide crackdown on the use of criminal history as a factor in employment decisions, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) released proposed regulations for employers with new prohibitions on the practice. In addition…
A.G. Schneiderman Announces Settlements With two Major National Retailers Over Violations of ‘Ban the Box’ Law
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced settlements with two major national retailers, Big Lots Stores and Marshalls, to “Ban the Box” on initial employment applications at their Buffalo stores. The settlement will ensure that both companies comply…
Colleges That Ask Applicants About Brushes With the Law Draw Scrutiny
The online admissions application for Auburn University appears simple, until you get to this question: “Have you ever been charged with or convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a crime other than a minor traffic offense, or are there any criminal…
How we Graded the States on Teacher Background Checks
The USA TODAY NETWORK determined America’s system for checking teachers’ backgrounds is a loosely-connected patchwork of state laws and procedures, inconsistent practices by school districts and state officials, and wide variations in who’s…
NYU Moves to Remove Criminal Background Check Questions on College Application Forms
New York University is taking steps to remove the criminal background check question on their college application forms. By doing this, prospective students would no longer have to divulge if they’ve run afoul of the law. Could this be the new frontier of Ban…
New Jersey Issues New Ban-the-Box Regulations
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has adopted regulations for the Opportunity to Compete Act, the state Ban-the-Box Law, clarifying many questions, including the Act’s impact on businesses with multistate operations. The new…
OPM Ban the Box and Background Checks
On December 15, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published in the Federal Register a notice listing its priorities. Under “Suitability” on page 77883 of the Federal Register, OPM states that they will be “proposing modifications to its rules…
Philadelphia Expands Ban-the-Box Legislation
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…



