In recent years, advocates and lawmakers have been pushing to expand the reach of “ban-the-box” measures designed to remove job barriers for individuals with criminal convictions. “Ban-the-box” laws, also called “fair chance laws,” are designed to prevent employers from excluding applicants based on their criminal history alone, by prohibiting employers from immediately inquiring into an applicant’s criminal history before evaluating their qualifications.
Ban-the-box laws have been adopted federally (for federal agencies and federal contractors acting on their behalf) and in numerous states and local jurisdictions. These laws generally contain broad carve-outs for employers or positions where background checks are required, including within the financial services industry. Some changes are coming to narrow those exemptions. On December 23, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Fair Hiring in Banking Act (FHBA), which substantially revised Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) to reduce hiring barriers within the financial services sector.
Recent Updates
- NYSDOL Releases Guidance on Trapped at Work Act
- Governor Hochul Re-Elected: How New York Employers Should Prepare as 2026 Ends
- Allegheny County Adopts Employer-Funded Paid Parental Leave Law
- When the AI Agent Goes Off-Script: The First Incident Playbook for Frontier AI
- Revised New York City Fair Chance Rules Take Effect October 30