(Podcast) California Employment News: Fair Chance Act – A Brief Overview of Employment Criminal Background Checks
The Risks in Background Checks
AGG Talks: Background Screening - Ban the Box and Fair Chance Hiring Laws: The Year in Review
#WorkforceWednesday: COVID-19 Restrictions Tighten, NYC Fair Chance Act, Biden's Budget - Employment Law This Week®
Employment Law Now III-50 - A 50th Birthday Celebration Episode
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed a district court’s dismissal of a job applicant’s claim under Pennsylvania’s Criminal History Record Information Act (“CHRIA”), holding that the statute applies even...more
California employers can now get a first look at the state’s key workplace-related legislative proposals in 2026. The state’s deadline for introducing new legislation in the current session was February 20, and lawmakers...more
Employers often run background checks as a regular part of the hiring process to evaluate candidates. However, in Pennsylvania, employers must consider their legal obligations under the Criminal History Record Information Act...more
Philadelphia employers should review their criminal background investigation practices and procedures in light of recent amendments to Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance (FCRSS) that took effect...more
The offer is out, the start date is penciled in, and then a background check report lands with something that makes everyone pause. Maybe it’s a Teams message to Legal. Maybe it’s a hiring manager asking, “What do we do now?”...more
On October 8, 2025, the Mayor of Philadelphia signed into law amendments (“Amendments”) to the city’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance, commonly known as Philadelphia’s Fair Chance law....more
Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards ordinance (also known as the “fair chance” or “ban the box” ordinance), which applies to most private employers and agencies in the City of Philadelphia, was recently...more
For employers and HR professionals, hiring the right talent involves balancing an employer’s need for workplace safety against Pennsylvania’s complex legal framework on fair hiring practices....more
The City of Philadelphia recently amended its Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance (FCRSS), commonly known as Philadelphia’s “Ban the Box” law, to make it more difficult for employers to consider criminal...more
Philadelphia has progressively strengthened its ban the box law, introducing stronger protections for applicants and employees and enhanced penalties for violations. Beginning Jan. 6, 2026, the latest amendments further...more
Employers in Philadelphia may need to update their hiring processes to comply with new rules on criminal history inquiries. Recent changes to the city’s ban-the-box ordinance will significantly expand who is covered, clarify...more
On Sept. 25, 2025, the Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed sweeping amendments to the city’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Law (Fair Chance Law), which regulates when and how employers may use applicants’...more
The pay transparency laws that were signed into law in the springtime are coming to fruition this October. Both the city of Cleveland, OH and the state of Massachusetts will be seeing new pay transparency guidelines in full...more
The Philadelphia City Council on September 25, 2025 unanimously passed a bill amending and expanding the existing Philadelphia Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Law (the Fair Chance Law). This legislation, which takes...more
On October 8, 2025, with the mayor’s signature, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania enacted additional amendments to its Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance (FCRSSO). The amendments continue the city’s trend of...more
As we pass the halfway point of 2025, there has already been a flurry of legislative changes and court decisions that have changed the landscape of Texas employment laws. With several of these laws already in effect, and...more
A series of employment-related bills have become law and will go into effect in the coming months and years. These new bills contain some significant changes that will likely affect most Washington employers. Understanding...more
In this installment of California Employment News, Ryan Abernethy and Nikki Mahmoudi provide an essential overview of California’s Fair Chance Act—also known as the Ban the Box law. Learn what employers need to know about...more
The employment law landscape has seen widespread changes on the federal and state levels in recent years. In light of what is poised to be years of even more changes, now is an opportune time to re-examine the basics of a...more
Hiring in Los Angeles County has changed due to the implementation of the Fair Chance Ordinance. This ordinance, designed to promote fair employment opportunities for individuals with criminal records, introduces new...more
San Diego County is the latest California county to enact its own Fair Chance Ordinance, the SDFCO. The law applies only in unincorporated areas of San Diego County. The law took effect October 10, but financial penalties for...more
Following the lead of other California cities and counties, the County of San Diego recently passed a local fair chance ordinance restricting the use of criminal history in employment decisions. Effective October 10,...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Since 2018, California has had a comprehensive Fair Chance Act (CFCA), which places a number of restrictions on employers using criminal history for hiring and other employment purposes. San Francisco and...more
General Overview of the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance -California has long been at the forefront of promoting equal employment opportunity for individuals with criminal histories. Statewide laws such as the Fair...more
California state law already saddles private sector employers with significant obligations to job applicants with a criminal record. Various local laws layer on top of these obligations to make compliance even more...more