Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has signed into law an amendment to Philadelphia’s Ban the Box legislation.
“Ban the Box,” or the Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards Ordinance, helps ensure employers make hiring and other employment decisions based on relevant work qualifications without improperly considering a person’s criminal record. The law does this by restricting when during the application an employer can inquire about someone’s criminal history and by preventing an employer from ever considering a closed case that did not result in a criminal conviction.
The amended Ban the Box law takes effect 90 days from December 15, 2015. If you’re an employer in Philadelphia with 10 or more employees, you’ll want to learn more. If you must comply with the new law, you’ll likely need to revise your employment application and remove questions that ask about arrests or convictions of a crime. Employers who fail to comply can be subject to fines of up to $2,000 per occurrence.
Note that there are some exceptions. Employers who are required to conduct background checks due to industry regulations or the nature of their business (for example banking) are exempt from the new law.
To read the legislation and learn more, click here.