Oregon will join the ranks of states barring most employers from asking about criminal convictions on their initial job applications if Gov. Kate Brown signs into law the bill that the legislators approved on June 16.
The bill was among the top priorities of a coalition of minority groups. Portland-based business groups, while endorsing the concept, sought assurances of flexibility for employers.
Although the question of criminal convictions could not be asked on application forms, employers could still raise it with applicants during interviews — or if there is no interview, when a conditional offer of employment is made.
W. Barry Nixon is the COO, PreemploymentDirectory.com the leading background screening information portal and online worldwide directory of professional background screening firms and Suppliers to the background screening industry. He co-authored the landmark book, Background Screening & Investigations: Managing Hiring Risk from the HR and Security Perspective. He also is the publisher of award winning newsletters, The Background Buzz and The Global Background Screener, and the author of the Background Checks column in PI Magazine.
In addition, Barry is a past recipient of the elite ‘Top 25 Influential People in Security’ by Security Magazine and past Co-Chair, International Committee for the National Association for Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). He currently serves as a Global Ambassador for NAPBS.
You can contact Barry at 1-949-770-5264 or online at wbnixon@preemploymentdirectory.com