Vermont Enacts "Ban the Box" Law
May 09, 2016
Governor Peter Shumlin has signed "ban the box" legislation. The legislation prohibits all employers from asking questions about prior criminal convictions on an initial job application, unless (1) required to do so under state or federal law or (2) when the prospective employee has applied for a job for which the employer must obtain a security or fidelity bond or equivalent bond. Employers are still permitted to ask questions in later stages of the hiring process. The legislation is effective January 1, 2017. Violators are subject to a penalty of $300 for each violation, which would be imposed by the Labor Department. Vermont is the seventh state to implement a state-wide "ban the box" law that applies to both state and private employers.
