['Recruiting and hiring']
['Negligent Hiring / Retention']
06/13/2024
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Summary of differences between federal and state regulations
Employer immunity from disclosure claims
In Oklahoma, an employer/former employer may disclose to a prospective employer, upon request of the prospective employer with permission from the employee/former employee or upon request of the employee/former employee, information about employee/former employee job performance, unless he/she is not acting in good faith. An employer/former employer may be liable for disclosures not made in good faith. Lack of good faith may be shown if the employer/former employer discloses knowingly false information or disclosed information with malice or reckless disregard.
Upon request of a former employee, a public service corporation or contractor of such corporation working for Oklahoma must send a plain, signed, and stamped letter containing the nature of the job, the duration of employment, and the true cause of voluntary or involuntary discharge.
Blacklisting or publishing the name of a blacklisted employee in order to prevent the employee from obtaining or keeping employment is not allowed.
Arrest record inquiries
Both the EEOC and Oklahoma have no laws or regulations specifically prohibiting arrest record inquiries, but employers in Oklahoma may not require applicants to disclose sealed record information.
However, the EEOC’s Notice N-915-061 says, “Where it appears that the applicant or employee engaged in the conduct for which he was arrested and that the conduct is job-related and relatively recent, exclusion is justified.” According to the Notice, the employer must evaluate whether the arrest record reflects the applicant’s conduct. It should, therefore, examine the surrounding circumstances, offer the applicant or employee an opportunity to explain, and, if he or she denies engaging in the conduct, make the follow-up inquiries necessary to evaluate his/her credibility. Since using arrests as a disqualifying criteria can only be justified where it appears that the applicant actually engaged in the conduct for which he/she was arrested and that conduct is job-related, the EEOC concludes that an employer will seldom be able to justify making broad general inquiries about an employee’s or applicant’s arrests. Since business justification rests on issues of job relatedness and credibility, a blanket exclusion of people with arrest records will almost never withstand scrutiny, according to Notice N-915-061.
Conviction record inquiries
Both the EEOC and Oklahoma have no laws or regulations specifically prohibiting conviction record inquiries, but employers in Oklahoma may not require applicants to disclose sealed record information.
However, the EEOC’s Notice N-915 says, “Where there is evidence of adverse impact, an absolute bar to employment based on the mere fact that the individual has a conviction record is unlawful under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended].” According to Notice N-915, an employer’s policy or practice of excluding individuals from employment on the basis of their conviction records is unlawful under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the absence of a justifying business necessity. To determine whether an employer’s decision was justified by business necessity, he/she must show that he/she considered three factors:
- The nature and gravity of the offense or offenses;
- The time that has passed since the conviction and/or completion of the sentence; and
- The nature of the job held or sought.
State
Contacts
Employer immunity from disclosure claims
Arrest record inquiries
Oklahoma Human Rights Commission
Oklahoma District Attorneys Council
Conviction record inquiries
Oklahoma Human Rights Commission
Oklahoma District Attorneys Council
Regulations
Employer immunity from disclosure claims
Oklahoma Statute 40-61, Disclosure of information by employer – presumption of good faith – immunity from liability
§40 171. Public service corporation to give letter to employee leaving service
Blacklisting
Oklahoma Statute 40-172
Arrest record inquiries
Oklahoma Statute Title 22, Section 19 , Sealing and unsealing of records – procedure
Conviction record inquiries
Oklahoma Statute Title 22, Section 19 , Sealing and unsealing of records – procedure
Federal
Contacts
Employer immunity from disclosure claims
None.
Arrest record inquiries
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Conviction record inquiries
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Regulations
Employer immunity from disclosure claims
None.
Arrest record inquiries
None; however, EEOC published Notice N-915-061, September 7, 1990, "Policy Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest Records in Employment Decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq. (1982)."
Conviction record inquiries
None; however, EEOC published Notice N-915, February 4, 1987, "Policy Statement on the Issue of Conviction Records under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq. (1982)."
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Copyright 2024 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.