LOL...morons Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LOL...bunch of morons on here.
>
> It is illegal for an employer to ask if you have
> been convicted of a felony, just like it is
> illegal for them to ask if you are black...or your
> gender...or if you are gay...
>
> That is why they perform background checks in the
> first place because they can't ask outright.
>
> Trust me, I know I won a lawsuit against a fortune
> 500 company.
According to the EEOC, there is no federal law prohibiting asking about arrests or convictions, although such information may not be used to discriminate against a member of a protected class. "Convicted felon" is not a protected class. State laws vary, but Virginia apparently does not prohibit asking about convictions, except convictions that have been expunged.
Many employers don't ask about arrests because many arrests don't result in convictions. But I don't know how anyone could imagine an employer wouldn't be entitled to ask an applicant whether he has ever been convicted of murder, rape, robbery, embezzling, assault etc., etc. Asking the question saves them the cost of running a background check on an ineligible applicant.
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/inquiries_arrest_conviction.cfm
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-laws-employer-use-arrest-conviction-records.html