Illinois Governor Signs Law Prohibiting Criminal History Inquiries on Job Applications

On July 21, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, which will prohibit most private-sector employers and employment agencies with 15 or more employees from asking applicants about their criminal histories and conducting criminal background checks until after applicants are deemed qualified for a job. The law will go into effect on January 1, 2015.

The complete article originally appeared on HR.BLR.com.

This article was written by Steven L. Benneman who is a partner at Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll LLP, and an editor of the Illinois Employment Law Letter. He can be reached at [email protected].