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What I've Been Reading This Week


It has been quite some time since I have covered a ban the box measure/bill/law/ordinance.  With that being said, I want to point readers to a development out of Kansas City yesterday on the topic.  While Missouri has banned the box for state hiring a few years ago (and the Kansas City government previously implemented the policy for many city employees), this is still a big step for ban the box advocates.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


Paid Leave Appears to Be Full Steam Ahead in Maryland

Recently, I had pointed readers to an update in Maryland in which, after the General Assembly overrode a veto by Governor Larry Hogan, the state was on track to implement paid leave this month.  However, there was some concern that such a quick implementation of the law gave employers in the state little time to prepare and plan accordingly to ensure compliance.  As Scott Dance at The Baltimore Sun writes, an attempt was made to delay implementation of the law for two months (to allow employers to prepare), but that appears to have gone nowhere.  Therefore, employers in the state are now on the clock with February 11 being the date this law is set to take effect.  This is good news for paid leave advocates that have fought a long battle to implement paid leave in Maryland...but a burden on employers who now will have to act quickly to ensure compliance.


Kansas City Council Approves Ban the Box Measure

Yesterday, the Kansas City Council approved a ban the box measure which will bar employers from asking applicants about their criminal records until later in the application process.  Now keep in mind that employers are not required to hire applicants with a criminal record.  Instead, as with many ban the box measures, this prohibition on asking about criminal records is meant to put all applicants on a level playing field without "coloring" the minds of employers during the initial application process.

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