Effective March 1, 2024, The City of Columbus will join Toledo and Cincinnati as Ohio’s latest city to prohibit employers from inquiring about a potential employee’s wage or salary history. The new ordinance deems it an “unlawful discriminatory practice” for an employer to: Inquire about an applicant’s salary history, encompassing current or previous wages, benefits, or other compensation. However, salary history excludes any objective measures of the applicant’s productivity, such as revenue, sales, or production reports. Evaluate job candidates based on their current or past wages, benefits ..read more

As medical marijuana and the non-prescription use of legal cannabis products continue to gain popularity, scenarios involving their presence are expected to rise. For employers seeking to safeguard their interests, here are some recommendations: Establish a proactive policy addressing legal substance use to safeguard job performance and safety. Tailor separate policies for safety-sensitive and less affected roles. Publicize the policy, provide a one-month grace period, then enforce it, considering the potential presence of marijuana in employees’ systems. Enforcing a no-cannabis policy in a s ..read more

Under Washington D.C.’s proposed law, employers will be required to disclose pay scale and healthcare prior to an interview. Washington D.C. joins the expanding group of jurisdictions mandating that employers reveal compensation details in job postings. Employers will be required to include the minimum and maximum anticipated salary or hourly pay in all job advertisements and position descriptions. Furthermore, employers will be barred from requesting or utilizing wage history when screening potential employees. The legislation awaits a final 30-day congressional review before becoming law. Th ..read more

As Hire Image previously reported, California’s Fair Chance Act or “Ban the Box” law primarily bars employers with five or more employees from inquiring about an applicant’s conviction history until extending a job offer. In 2021, California’s Civil Rights Department launched new initiatives to pinpoint and rectify Fair Chance Act breaches. Consequently, the department has intensified enforcement of the statute. Therefore, it is crucial for employers subject to the law to grasp its mandates. Following a conditional offer, employers are still prohibited from inquiring about or taking into the a ..read more

Effective January 1, 2024, the Minnesota Human Rights Act was amended to incorporate a new provision preventing employers from asking about, taking into account, or demanding disclosure of a job applicant’s salary history. Although employees are still able to voluntarily reveal their pay history to enhance their bargaining leverage when negotiating compensation with an employer, an employer’s inquiry into pay history is discriminatory and deemed illegal without requiring proof of a discriminatory intent. If an employee does choose to voluntarily disclose their pay history, the employer cannot ..read more

President Joe Biden has issued a proclamation pardoning specific marijuana offenses, expanding on a broader action taken last year granting relief to thousands convicted of possession under federal law. The latest pardons focus on further instances of simple possession and use of marijuana, encompassing both federal and D.C. law. The proclamation now covers offenses related to use and possession on specific Federal lands. He has also urged governors to adopt comparable measures concerning state marijuana-related offenses, emphasizing that no individual should be incarcerated for the use or pos ..read more

Fact vs Fiction In a competitive job market, the pressure to stand out can drive individuals to exaggerate accomplishments, skills, or even fabricate experiences. Unfortunately, embellishing experiences and qualifications on a resume is becoming more common. While embellishing qualifications may seem like a common practice, it poses significant risks both for the individuals involved and the organizations seeking genuine talent. However, employers are becoming increasingly adept at uncovering such discrepancies through rigorous background checks and thorough vetting processes. According to a r ..read more

Pennsylvania’s recent legislation allows for more criminal records to be sealed, and potentially reducing the number of individuals placed on probation or housed in county jails. The new probation law aims to: Limit the length of probation. Prevent individuals from being sent back to jail for minor probation violations. The second law will: Permit courts to seal criminal records related to non-violent drug felonies with a minimum sentence of under 2 ½ years and/or a maximum sentence of under 5 years. Enables the sealing of specific non-violent felonies for individuals with a clean record fo ..read more

Effective January 1, 2025, all limited liability companies (LLC) established under New York law or seeking authorization to operate in New York will be obligated to disclose key details, including the identities of their beneficial owners, to the NY Department of State, unless eligible for a reporting exemption. The beneficial ownership data will be compiled into an internal database overseen by the NY Secretary of State, accessible to various government agencies and law enforcement entities across New York state, while maintaining confidentiality and not being disclosed to the public. The imp ..read more

As we start the new year, many employers anticipate welcoming new team members. If you find yourself in the midst of processing applications and conducting job interviews, it’s advisable to consider the pay equity changes that have been implemented or are scheduled to take effect in the coming months. States who have proposed or implemented salary transparency laws include: Illinois Hawaii New York California U.S. Congress also introduced their Salary Transparency Act which would require employers to disclose wages to the public or internal postings of employment opportunities. These updates ..read more