Attorney Commented On Kansas City New ‘Ban the Box' Rule

Samantha Monsees is quoted in the Kansas City Business Journal article “KC needs to prepare for hiring in a 'Ban the Box' world.” In Kansas City, a new ordinance commonly known as the “Ban the Box” rule will prohibit employers from inquiring about an applicant’s criminal history until after several qualified candidates have been selected. If employers are found guilty of discrimination in the hiring process based on criminal history they could face civil penalties, back pay and other costly damages. In this article, Samantha informs employers on how to avoid these claims of discrimination.

"In order to avoid any kind of claim that someone was discriminated against based on a criminal conviction, you want to have hiring procedures in place," said Samantha. "Make sure you're documenting your decisions and have good reasons for why you've decided not to hire a candidate, and that you're not just doing it arbitrarily. It's going to require internal processing and critical thinking, and at times it may be wise to consult an attorney in that process."

To read the full article, visit Kansas City Business Journal.