Seattle Adopts Ordinance Limiting Inquiries Into and Use of Criminal Records for Employment Purposes

Effective November 1, 2013, Seattle, Washington will join various other jurisdictions (most recently Minnesota, Indiana, North Carolina and Buffalo, New York) that limit inquiries into and the use of criminal records for employment purposes.1 On June 10, 2013, the Seattle City Council adopted Council Bill 117796 (the “Ordinance”), which Mayor Mike McGinn is expected to sign.2 The Ordinance provides for administrative enforcement but affords no private right of action. Nonetheless, employers with operations or employees in Seattle should review the prohibitions in the Ordinance and should also continue to monitor related developments across the U.S.