This week, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals resurrected a class action lawsuit which alleges that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when it refused to hire applicants based on their criminal history reports without first giving the applicants a chance to…
A recent research study has cast doubt on the theory that the unemployment rates of minorities will decrease if employers cannot screen applicants by credit history. There has been discussion among lawmakers around the country about legislation that would prohibit employers from considering credit history when they hire employees. Some…
Maine recently enacted a law that will prohibit employers from requiring or coercing applicants or employees to grant an employer access to their personal social media profiles. This means that employers will not be allowed to make applicants or employees, for example, “friend” them on Facebook or require them to…
Back in August 2012, we reported on efforts in other states to pass laws that would prohibit employers from demanding that their employees give them access to the employees’ personal email and social media accounts. This debate has now reached Maine and it has received some news coverage. Rep. Mike…
Earlier this month, Illinois became the latest state to pass a law that prohibits employers from requiring job applicants and employees to give employers access to their profiles on social networking websites like Facebook. Maryland and Delaware have also passed similar laws. Illinois, Maryland, and Delaware enacted these laws because…
On July 27, 2011, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over most New England states, including Maine, issued a decision in Haggins v. Verizon New England, Inc. This case involves a challenge to Verizon’s use of cell phones with GPS tracking capability to track its field technicians.…