NYC Bans Employment Credit Checks

Last week New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio signed a bill that prohibits most employers from inquiring about or considering a prospective or current employee’s credit history when making employment decisions. The law is among the broadest such bans in the nation, according to Proskauer Rose attorneys Katharine Parker and Daniel Saperstein, in part because it defines credit history to include far more than the information from a consumer credit report. At the same time, however, the bill does enumerate a number of exceptions to its basic requirement. The writers advise employers to review their policies carefully to ensure compliance, as the law provides for private actions “with the promise of generous remedies.” It will take effect on September 3.