October

Walmart is facing a class action lawsuit alleging that the company violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act by using unauthorized background checks.

The lead plaintiff in the case argues that the business failed to provide adequate notice of the consumer report and did not secure the legal authorization to obtain it. The lawsuit also claims Walmart violated various state California laws when it obtained background checks on the plaintiff and others. Additionally, the plaintiff has argued that the required stand-alone disclosure documents were "embedded with extraneous information".

The plaintiff is seeking monetary relief for himself and the Class, along with statutory damages and an injunction on Walmart's policies.

Although the Ohio House has proposed a bill that is intended to protect the privacy of employment applicants, the bill could make the hiring process more cumbersome for employers. House Bill 187 provides that no employer may request an applicant's Social Security number, date of birth or driver's license number before making an offer of employment.
 
These are important factors for employers who wish to conduct complete background screenings, including credit checks, driving history and previous employment.
 
The bill also requires employers to destroy all information collected, regardless of employment status.

A recent federal district court case has determined that Connecticut employees who have been certified by the Department of Consumer Protection to use medical marijuana outside of work hours and are not impaired while at work are protected by state law.

The state's statute makes it unlawful to refuse to hire or to discharge an employee because of the individual's status as a qualifying patient or for testing positive in a drug screening. It does not, however, protect such individuals if they are found to be under the influence during working hours.