Pennsylvania HR guidance for practitioners.
Pick a topic below to see the federal rule, the PA statute, and the practitioner steps Ask HR AI walks you through in a session.
Pennsylvania at a glance
- Report lookback: 7 years (FCRA default). Pennsylvania follows FCRA. Clean Slate sealing (2018, expanded by Act 36 of 2023) must be suppressed. In Philadelphia, the amended Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance cuts the misdemeanor lookback from seven years to four (excluding periods of incarceration), keeps felonies at seven, and excludes summary offenses entirely.
- Ban-the-box: Public sector + Philadelphia (amended eff. Jan 6, 2026), Pittsburgh. Governor's directive covers state agencies; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh apply private-employer rules. Philadelphia's FCRSS amendments (Bill 250373-A, signed October 8, 2025, effective January 6, 2026) extend coverage to independent contractors, rideshare drivers, and other gig workers; require any pre-check notice to state that consideration will be an individualized assessment; shorten the misdemeanor lookback to four years; and require a written pre-adverse notice with a ten-day candidate response window before any adverse decision.
- Salary history: Public-employer ban (Executive Order 2018-18-03) + Philadelphia. Applies to state agencies and Philadelphia private employers; no statewide private rule.
- Cannabis: Medical only; reasonable accommodation. 35 P.S. §10231.2103 prohibits discrimination against medical-cannabis patients absent on-the-job impairment.
Pennsylvania topics
FCRA adverse action in Pennsylvania
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 PA guideBan-the-Box and Fair Chance hiring in Pennsylvania
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 PA guideWage and hour in Pennsylvania
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 PA guideLeaves and accommodations in Pennsylvania
Coordinating FMLA, ADA reasonable accommodation, workers' comp, pregnancy accommodation, and state paid family and medical leave programs.
Read the PA guideDrug testing and marijuana in Pennsylvania
Pre-employment, reasonable-suspicion, and post-accident drug testing across states with off-duty cannabis protections and safety-sensitive carve-outs.
Read the PA guidePay transparency and pay equity in Pennsylvania
State and city pay range disclosure laws, pay equity analyses, and how to respond to an applicant's compensation question.
Read the PA guideHarassment prevention and training in Pennsylvania
Mandatory sexual harassment training in CA, NY, IL, CT, DE, ME, WA — plus prevention policies, complaint channels, and Faragher/Ellerth defenses.
Read the PA guideBackground check basics for HR in Pennsylvania
What a compliant employment background check includes, FCRA disclosure and authorization, and how to interpret common report components.
Read the PA guideRelated SafestHires resources for Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania background-check rules — the underlying state-screening reference.
- Pennsylvania FACIS® healthcare screening — Medicaid exclusion and licensing boards.
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