NCISS Advocate Meets with EEOC

Last week, NCISS Legislative Advocate Larry Sabbath, along with a small group of corporate association representatives, met with several top staff members of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) to discuss our concerns with possible limits on the use of credit and criminal background checks.

The EEOC has held hearings on both issues because of the concern of some commissioners that employer use of background checks may have a disparate impact on the chances of some minorities to obtain employment. On behalf of NCISS, I provided official "public comments" this past summer to the EEOC pointing out why it is critical that background checks not be restricted when used for lawful purposes.

The Commission is considering updating existing guidelines regarding the appropriate use of background checks. Sabbath and the other business advocates spent almost two hours arguing against any major restrictions on background checks.

Commission staff at the meeting included representatives of the Office of Legal Counsel and EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien. No timetable for any decision on the issue has been announced.

We will continue to protect the interests of our members on both legislative and administrative issues as they arise.