Legislation restricting employers from inquiring about an applicant’s criminal background during the initial stages of the application process has been signed into law by Governor Kate Brown on June 26, 2015. The “Ban the Box” law, H.B. 3025, will take effect on January 1, 2016. The legislation does not prohibit employers from notifying applicants that they will later be required to disclose convictions or that a criminal background check will be performed as part of the hiring process. The legislation expressly states that it does not foreclose an employer from considering convictions when making hiring decisions. Oregon employers should review their employment applications and their application processes to ensure compliance with the legislation’s requirements. Further, employers should plan new processes for conducting criminal background procedures.

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