Law360 Quotes Partner Barbara E. Hoey on Ban the Box” Law

Partner Barbara E. Hoey was quoted in the Law360 article, NY Employers Likely To Respect NJ’s New Ban The Box’ Law.” The article reports on New Jersey’s new law barring private employers from asking job applicants up front about their criminal past, and how New York employers will make preemptive changes as New York will likely follow suit. The article notes that a statewide policy in New York could mitigate a situation where cities continue to pass laws with different components and Ms. Hoey mentions that the emergence of such laws across various levels of government is a difficult area for employers.” Current New York state law allows employers to ask the question during the application process but forbids them from making hiring decisions solely on that basis. Ms. Hoey states that she, think[s] employers should be able to ask the question. But they should not consider the question as a bar to the job…employers are not out there trying to exclude people. They’re really just out there trying to run a business. Sometimes the best person for the job is not a person who has a criminal history.”