A “ban the box” legislation has been passed in the City of St. Louis, Mo., that prohibits employers from basing job hiring or promotion decisions on applicants’ criminal histories. The Ordinance also prohibits employers from publishing job advertisements excluding applicants based on criminal history, as well as barring employers from including statements excluding applications based on criminal history in job application forms and other employer-generated forms used in the hiring process. Effective January 1, 2021, for employers with at least 10 employees, the legislation aims to remove potential job barriers for people with criminal histories. Violations may expose employers to significant penalties.
