New Illinois Laws in 2015: What Employers Should Know
Joining the current “Ban the Box” trend, the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act prohibits Illinois employers from asking job applicants about their criminal history until after the employer determines that the individual is qualified for the position and notifies the individual that s/he has been selected for an interview. If an employer does not conduct interviews, then any inquiry into an applicant’s criminal background cannot take place until after the employer makes a conditional offer of employment. In light of this new legislation, Illinois employers with multi-state locations or branches should review any “national” or uniform job applications, especially those completed via the Internet.
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