NC Governor Cooper Bans the Box for State Jobs
North Carolina's executive order bars most state agencies from asking about criminal convictions until after the interview, effective November 2020.
Effective November 1, 2020, candidates for most state jobs in North Carolina are no longer required to disclose criminal convictions on their employment applications. Governor Cooper's executive order bars most state agencies from asking about an applicant's criminal record until the person has received an interview. This change was made to help ensure candidates are not screened out of the hiring process before they have an opportunity to prove their merit.
It should be noted that the requirement does not apply to private companies. Some state positions, such as law enforcement, still require candidates to disclose their records. It also does not mean that a criminal conviction relevant to the role a candidate applies for cannot be used in an employment decision after a conditional job offer is extended.
Governor Cooper also directed the Department of Administration to study the feasibility of having state contractors implement similar policies. Employers working with the state of North Carolina, and employers in general, may want to review their own background screening policies in the event that ban the box requirements are extended to cover their businesses as well.
If you are an employer with questions about updating your background screening processes, contact CRC's sales team at (877) 272-0266.
This post reflects North Carolina's executive order as it stood at the time of original publication in August 2020.
