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New Laws for 2014: Ban the Box (Minnesota)

Each state has a host of new employment and labor related laws that take effect in 2014. This series focuses on several new laws from around the country that are of particular interest.




Minnesota expanded its "Ban the Box" law to include private employers, effective January 1, 2014.  Under the Ban the Box law, public and private employers in Minnesota may not inquire, consider, or request disclosure of an applicant's criminal history until after the applicant has been selected for a job interview, or if no interview is being conducted, then before a conditional offer of employment has been made.

Note that there are exceptions to this law for employers to conduct criminal background checks that relate to the job, such as police, fire, school bus drivers, etc.

Employers in Minnesota need to ensure they comply with this new law.  Now that the Ban the Box law has been extended to include private employers, it likely affects a majority of employers in the state now.


Special thanks to Time Well Spent for the comic.

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