This Forbes article explores three employment screening shortcuts in the hiring process that could put your company at risk, as well as suggestions on three alternate steps to consider instead.

SHRM submitted a letter to the leaders of the House Financial Services Committee expressing their opposition to H.R. 3614, the Restricting Credit Checks for Employment Decisions Act. In the letter, SHRM cited data that supports checking credit for certain positions, such as financial, security, and fiduciary roles as a means to mitigate losses, risks, and liability, as well as create better, more secure workplaces. SHRM also stated their belief that employers need to have the ability to put into place policies and procedures that fulfill the needs of their companies. Read the full letter here.

The City of Columbia joined in with multiple other cities, states and municipalities and will no longer ask about criminal history on their initial employment application and will refrain from asking about previous salaries. The City is encouraging its vendors to follow suit. Read more here.

The Fifth Circuit determined that the EEOC’s guidance on considering arrest and conviction records in employment decisions amounts to a substantive rule and the agency doesn’t have the authority to create such a rule. Furthermore, the Fifth Circuit cited that the EEOC ran afoul of the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to provide notice to the public or allowing an opportunity to comment.

Illinois Public Act 101-0177 – was signed by the Governor J.B. Pritzker on July 31, 2019. This law takes effect 60 days from the date of signing and prohibits Illinois employers from asking candidates about their salary history during the hiring process. The law amends the Equal Pay Act of 2003, which specifically addressed pay discrimination on the basis of sex or race.  Read more here and here. This law is another example of the sweeping nationwide movement to ban-the-box and exclude candidate salary history disclosure during the hiring process.