City of Spokane, WA to “Ban-the-Box” on Criminal Records in June 2018
Special Announcement to all City of Spokane employers:
Effective June 14, 2018, the City of Spokane, WA will impose Ordinance C-35564. This restricts employers in the city from asking about and using criminal records. This ordinance adds section 09.02.050 to the Spokane Municipal Code.
Under the law, the following restrictions will apply:
No employer shall:
A. advertise applicable employment openings in a way that excludes people with arrest or conviction records from applying, such as using advertisements which state “no felons,” “no criminal records,” or which otherwise convey similar messages;
B. include any question in an application for applicable employment, inquire orally or in writing, receive information through a criminal record background check, or otherwise obtain information about an employee’s arrest or conviction record until after the employee has participated in an in-person or video interview or received a conditional offer of employment;
C. use, distribute, or disseminate an employee’s arrest or conviction record except as required by law;
D. disqualify an employee from applicable employment solely because of a prior arrest or conviction unless the conviction is related to significant duties of the job or disqualification is otherwise allowed by this chapter; or
E. reject or disqualify an applicant for failure to disclose a criminal record prior to initially determining the applicant is otherwise qualified for the position.
This law will require a review of the hiring process in place and may require changes to that process.
In order to comply with this law, Justifacts recommends that you consult with your legal department. This will help your company determine what changes, if any, need to be made to your hiring process.
It is important to note that Justifacts is providing this information as a service to our clients. None of the information contained herein should be construed as legal advice, nor is Justifacts engaged to provide legal advice. We go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful. We recommend you consult your attorney or legal department if you want assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.
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