Employment Fairness Act for Returning Citizens in Prince George’s County, MD
The Prince George's Employment Fairness Act for Returning Citizens is a new law in Prince George's County, Maryland, designed to provide fair...
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3 min read
Admin August 22, 2023
One of the latest in a series of “Ban the Box” style laws and amendments, California has updated its Fair Chance Act this year. On July 24, 2023, the Office of Administrative Law approved the California Civil Rights Council’s proposed modifications.
California’s Fair Chance Act aims to provide individuals with a prior criminal history a fair opportunity to start anew if the criminal history is not deemed a safety hazard and there is no directly relevant concern that negatively affects job performance.
The updates primarily clarify the original act and expand protections on individuals who possess a criminal history. There are also modifications aimed at protecting victims of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or comparable statuses, and those with disabilities or certain diagnoses from discrimination.
Since 2018, the California Fair Chance Act has essentially required employers to wait until after a conditional offer of employment was made to inquire about criminal history. Under the act, employers must also conduct an individualized, job-related assessment before rejecting an applicant based on criminal history. Employers must also follow a two-step notice process if action is taken based on criminal history. Below is a history of the progression of this Act.
The latest update to the Act includes, but is not limited to, the following changes:
To read the full details on the modifications of the CA Fair Chance Act, take a closer look here.
In the most recent update to the act expands the definition of “employer” from “a labor contractor and a client employer” to include “any direct or joint employer, any entity that evaluates the applicant’s conviction history on behalf of an employer, or acts as an agent of an employer, directly or indirectly; any staffing agency; and any entity that selects, obtains, or is provided workers from a pool or availability list.”
The amendment states that employers who violate the act are subject to fines up to $1,000, while employers with 100 or more employees are subject to penalties up to $5,000. The act also includes additional consequences including training requirement guidelines for employers that repeatedly violate the Act.
This act directly applies to California, but by extension, it may also apply to employers regarding applicants who have previously lived in or have had applicable experiences within the state which fall under the umbrella of the CA Fair Chance Act. Employers may want to review their current job postings with their legal team to ensure they comply with the updated act.
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