Ban the Box

One of the fastest-moving trends in employment law involves the plethora of "ban the box" laws affecting private employers that have sprouted up in many states and municipalities. The name stems from the box on job applications that prospective employees are often asked to check if they have ever been convicted of a crime. These laws make it illegal to include criminal history questions on initial job applications.

The primary goal behind these measures is to prevent qualified, rehabilitated job applicants from being automatically excluded from consideration without the chance for an interview. Ban the box laws are also thought to reduce recidivism.

A host of cities have "ban the box" measures that go beyond most state laws, including several that bar criminal history inquiries until after an interview has taken place or a conditional job offer has been extended. Using our various Tools and resources can help an employer stay abreast of this "ban the box" trend.