Ohio HR guidance for practitioners.
Pick a topic below to see the federal rule, the OH statute, and the practitioner steps Ask HR AI walks you through in a session.
Ohio at a glance
- Report lookback: 7 years (FCRA default). Ohio applies FCRA. Sealed and expunged records under ORC §2953.32 must be suppressed.
- Ban-the-box: Public sector (Fair Hiring Act, ORC §9.73). State agencies may not inquire about criminal history on initial applications.
- Salary history: Local — Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo. Major city ordinances apply; no statewide rule.
- Cannabis: Recreational legal (Issue 2, 2023); employer rights preserved. ORC §3796.28 (medical) and Issue 2 preserve the employer's right to enforce zero-tolerance policies.
Ohio topics
FCRA adverse action in Ohio
The two-step FCRA adverse action process: pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and Summary of Rights, a reasonable waiting period, and the final adverse action notice.
Read the OH guideBan-the-Box and Fair Chance hiring in Ohio
When employers may ask about criminal history, individualized assessment requirements, and the state and city ordinances that add rules on top of federal EEOC guidance.
Read the OH guideWage and hour in Ohio
FLSA exempt vs non-exempt classification, overtime rules, meal and rest breaks, off-the-clock work, and state daily-overtime rules that overlay the federal floor.
Read the OH guideLeaves and accommodations in Ohio
Coordinating FMLA, ADA reasonable accommodation, workers' comp, pregnancy accommodation, and state paid family and medical leave programs.
Read the OH guideDrug testing and marijuana in Ohio
Pre-employment, reasonable-suspicion, and post-accident drug testing across states with off-duty cannabis protections and safety-sensitive carve-outs.
Read the OH guidePay transparency and pay equity in Ohio
State and city pay range disclosure laws, pay equity analyses, and how to respond to an applicant's compensation question.
Read the OH guideHarassment prevention and training in Ohio
Mandatory sexual harassment training in CA, NY, IL, CT, DE, ME, WA — plus prevention policies, complaint channels, and Faragher/Ellerth defenses.
Read the OH guideBackground check basics for HR in Ohio
What a compliant employment background check includes, FCRA disclosure and authorization, and how to interpret common report components.
Read the OH guideRelated SafestHires resources for Ohio
- Ohio background-check rules — the underlying state-screening reference.
- Ohio FACIS healthcare screening — Medicaid exclusion and licensing boards.
- All states — jump to another state.