What does “Ban the Box” mean?
Ban The Box
Typically, “Ban-the-Box” initiatives prohibit employers’ job applications from having any question asking the applicant of convicted crimes. On paper applications, this has been a check box — hence the term “Ban-the-Box”.
Q. Do “Ban-the-Box” laws prohibit using background checks?
A. No. Typically, “Ban-the-Box” laws do not forbid employers from running pre-employment background checks. Some of these laws do stipulate when a background check can be used in the hiring process. If the law in question does touch on the timing, it typically falls into one of two events: either after the first job interview, or after a conditional job offer has been made.
Q. Do all “Ban-the-Box” laws apply to private and public sector employers?
A. No. A majority of the state level laws apply to public sector employers only.
Q. Which states have “Ban-the-Box” laws that apply to private employers?
A. Here are the states that currently have laws in place that “Ban the Box” for private employers.
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Q. What municipalities/counties have ban the box laws that impact private employers?
A. Here is a list of the municipalities that currently have private employer initiatives:
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Buffalo, NY
- Columbia, MO
- District of Columbia
- Kansas City, MO
- Los Angeles, CA
- Montgomery County, MD
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, OR
- Prince George County, MD
- Rochester, NY
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Washington, DC