Oregon’s Ban the Box initiative House Bill 3025 goes into effect on January 1, 2016. This law prohibits any employer in Oregon (with 1 or more employees) from requiring an applicant to disclose a criminal conviction on the employment application and they must not exclude an applicant from an initial interview solely because of past criminal conviction, among other requirements. Please review our Oregon Ban the Box Legislative Update for more details.
In addition, Portland, Oregon’s City Council went a few steps further passing Ordinance No. 187459, which will go into effect on July 1, 2016. Requirements will include conducting an individualized assessment and notifying the applicant of the relevant criminal convictions on which an adverse decision is based (as applicable).
For your easy reference, we have outlined the Key Takeaways for both laws below.
OREGON
Effective January 1, 2016
- Affects any employer in Oregon with 1 or more employees.
- Employers must not require an applicant to disclose a criminal conviction on the employment application.
- Employers must not exclude an applicant from an initial interview solely because of past criminal conviction.
PORTLAND, OR
Effective July 1, 2016
- Affects any employer with 6 or more employees.
- Employers must not consider criminal history until after a conditional offer, and must conduct an individualized assessment when doing so.
- If an offer is rescinded, employers must notify the applicant in writing with the relevant criminal convictions on which the decision is based.
You can read more about ban the box, and other laws, by visiting Accurate Background’s Legislative Updates.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact resources@accuratebackground.com. We wish you a very happy holiday season!
