PeopleMatter: Administrators: Can I Ask if an Applicant has been Convicted of a Felony on the Application?

A growing trend across the country, Ban the Box ordinances continue to be a hot topic for hourly employers. Not only do states and localities have restrictions on whether you can ask applicants criminal history questions, but also on when.

In order to ensure that we're not creating issues for employers unknowingly, our support resources no longer add questions to the job application that may create a Ban the Box related issue. The only exception is the PeopleMatter platform, which is self-service: customers can choose to configure applications by location and job.

So far, the following states enforce restrictions on background inquiries and checks:

Connecticut
Hawaii
Illinois
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New Jersey
Oregon
Rhode Island
Utah
Vermont

Lots of localities are also adding restrictions, adding another level of complexity:

Austin, TX
Baltimore, MD
Buffalo, NY
Chicago, IL
Columbia, MO
Cook County, IL
District of Columbia
Los Angeles, CA
Montgomery County, MD
New York City, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Portland, OR
Prince George’s County, MD
Rochester, NY
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA