The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has launched a new online interactive guide to assist job seekers in better understanding whether the state’s Fair Chance Act protections apply to them.

The Fair Chance Act seeks to reduce barriers to employment for people who have been previously involved in the criminal legal system. In passing the law, the Legislature recognized that nearly one in three adults in California have an arrest or conviction record that can significantly undermine their efforts to obtain gainful employment.

In partnership with UCI School of Law and tech provider Neota Logic, the CRD has launched an online interactive guide that will anonymously help individuals assess whether they or another person may have experienced a violation of the Fair Chance Act. By inputting responses on behalf of themselves or another, the interactive guide creates an individualized downloadable report with general information about the Fair Chance Act, a list of possible violations based on the specific responses provided and information on how to get support.

The launch of this employee-focused resource along with recent changes to the Fair Chance Act discussed here and effective October 1, 2023, provide an excellent opportunity for employers with five or more employees to audit current onboarding practices. A few key points to consider:

• Audit current onboarding practices. Recent changes to notice, individualized assessment, reassessment and revocation notice practices make it imperative that qualified employers audit current hiring practices to assure compliance.
• Create a checklist to ensure compliance with updated processes, timeframes and notice requirements. Provide a copy of the checklist to all hiring managers along with additional training to ensure understanding.