On Thursday, March 24, Austin, Texas City Council passed a Fair Chance Hiring ordinance requiring private employers to delay asking about a job applicant’s criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made. The ordinance intends to give applicants a fair chance at employment by delaying inquiries into an applicant’s conviction history. This policy will apply to Austin employers with fifteen or more employees. Of the cities that have adopted fair chance hiring policies, Austin’s ordinance is one of the few that guarantees that a background check will only occur after a conditional job offer has been made. For more information, please view the following web pages:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2016-03-25/austin-first-fair-chance-city-in-the-south/
Please seek legal counsel to assist in reviewing and/or amending your current policies and procedures when legislation has a potential impact on your business.