Interviewing and Selecting Job Candidates: District of Columbia

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Authors: Stuart R. Buttrick and Tareen Zafrullah, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Summary

• District of Columbia antidiscrimination law prohibits discriminatory practices based on a broad range of protected classes that go well beyond federal law. See The Application Process.
• Employers may ask questions aimed at overcoming the past effects of employment discrimination. See Affirmative Action Inquiries.
• Most private employers are restricted from asking criminal history questions prior to making a conditional job offer. See Criminal History Inquiries.
• Preemployment inquiries generally must be nondiscriminatory unless the employer can provide a reasonable explanation and show the questions are tied directly to job performance. See Interviewing Applicants.
• The District of Columbia Human Rights Act lists specific practices that employers must avoid during the interview and selection process. See Selecting Candidates.
• The District of Columbia has enacted a new law that bans discrimination against job candidates who are unemployed. See Discrimination Against the Unemployed.