Criminal Background Checks
Employers may ask about convictions, however employers should not ask about convictions unless those convictions relate to the job and occurred within the last 10 years. In June 2013, the City of Seattle passed an ordinance that prohibits employers from performing criminal background checks on job applicants until after the employer extends a conditional offer of employment to an applicant. Moreover, before taking any adverse employment action based on an applicant’s criminal history, an employer must identify the source of the criminal records and give the applicant a reasonable opportunity to explain or correct the information. Employers must hold a conditional job offer open for two days to allow an applicant time to explain his or her criminal history or refute the record.