Data Facts Background Screening Blog

This article was originally published by The National Law Review and can be accessed here.

Illinois employers have been prohibited from using arrest records as the basis for employment decisions under Section 103 of the Illinois Human Rights Actfor a long time. On March 23, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill (SB) 1480 into law, which added a new Section 103.1 to the IHRA that severely restricts the ability of employers to rely on conviction records in making employment decisions.  

Section 103.1 is effective immediately, and prohibits use of a conviction record as the basis for an employment decision unless:

Topics: criminal records search, Employer use of criminal records, employment laws, illinois

Employers may spend weeks, or even months, recruiting, scouring resumes, and interviewing. Hiring managers might believe they found the perfect candidate, only to find unacceptable information during the background screening process.

Topics: adverse action procedures, background checks, background screening practices, Employer use of criminal records, background check services

Needle in a haystack?

Hiring quality employees can be challenging to any organization. However, high-performing A-players are essential components in building a well-oiled, successful company that can serve clients and maintain a competitive edge. Unfortunately, even candidates who look promising on paper and ace the interview might still be the wrong choice.

Topics: background screen, background check, background screening practices, Employer use of criminal records, background check services, hiring process, employment laws, PBSA

Topics: Ban the Box, Employer use of criminal records, employment laws, Maryland

Most of today’s companies utilize some sort of background screening process before making a hiring decision. Criminal searches, driving record searches, reference checks, employment and education verifications, assessment testing, credit checks, and drug screening all fall under the “background screening” umbrella.

Topics: Litigation avoidance, background screening practices, Ban the Box, Employer use of criminal records

This article was written by Ryan P. Lessmann and first appeared on the National Law Review website.

In an effort to prevent persons with criminal records from being automatically ruled out for job vacancies, Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed “ban the box” legislation. The new law will go into effect in September 2019 for employers with at least 11 employees, and employers with fewer than 11 employees have until September 2021 to comply.

This makes Colorado the 13th state to enact “ban the box” legislation for private employers.

Topics: Colorado, Background screening, Hiring, Ban the Box, Employer use of criminal records

Effective June 6, 2018, Washington will be the next state to implement “ban the box” legislation, which restricts employers from executing a criminal background check on the job applicant during the initial stages of the application process.

Topics: Background screening, background checks, Ban the Box, Employer use of criminal records, background check services

This information was originally posted on SHRM.org by Jennifer Mora

When it comes to legislation restricting employer use of criminal records, California seems to be leading the charge.

In the last six months alone, we have reported on a variety of new laws that apply to a California employer that uses criminal records as a background check in pre-hire and other employment decisions. 

Topics: Background screening, background check, Ban the Box, Employer use of criminal records