On July 19, 2014, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, which will go into effect on January 1, 2015. The new law will restrict the timing of pre-employment inquiries by Illinois employers about a job applicant’s criminal past. The Act reflects the ongoing trend, at both the state and local level, toward so-called “Ban-the-Box” laws that have been enacted across the nation. The EEOC also has endorsed this limitation in its updated guidance regarding consideration of arrest and conviction records under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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