Short answer
Can employers in Spokane ask about criminal history before a job offer?
Spokane Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance (SMC 09.05) (effective June 14, 2018) applies to: All private employers with any employee working in Spokane. No conviction-history inquiry before the candidate is determined to be otherwise qualified; arrest records not leading to conviction may never be the basis for a decision.
Covered employers
All private employers with any employee working in Spokane.
Timing of inquiry
No conviction-history inquiry before the candidate is determined to be otherwise qualified; arrest records not leading to conviction may never be the basis for a decision.
Individualized assessment
Required analysis tying the conviction to job duties.
Adverse-action workflow
Standard FCRA pre-adverse and adverse process, with documentation of the individualized assessment.
Notice & posting
Postings may not announce blanket exclusions on the basis of arrest or conviction.
Enforcement & penalties
Spokane Office of Civil Rights, Equity and Inclusion. Civil penalty up to $261 per violation, escalating with repeat conduct.
Citations
- Spokane Mun. Code Ch. 09.05