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Criminal Background Discrimination

New York Criminal Background Discrimination Attorneys

Helping New Yorkers Secure a Second Chance

In the wake of an arrest or criminal conviction, you want nothing more than to move forward and keep living your life. However, any kind of criminal or arrest record can create an unfortunate stigma that may jeopardize your ability to secure future employment.

In 2015, New York City instituted the Fair Chance Act, a law designed to encourage the new employment of individuals with criminal records. The Fair Chance Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against an employee or prospective worker on the basis of their criminal record.

Many with criminal records nonetheless continue to experience inappropriate and unlawful treatment during their job search. Our New York criminal background discrimination lawyers at Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP have over 100 years of collective legal experience and can assist clients who believe their Fair Chance Act rights have been violated. If you have an arrest or criminal record that you believe is impeding your ability to secure employment, our team can help you understand your rights and hold bad actors accountable.

We are committed to helping workers with criminal and arrest records enforce their rights. Call (646) 490-0221 or contact us online to discuss your situation with us.

When Am I Required To Disclose My Criminal or Arrest Record in New York City?

Under the Fair Chance Act, New York City employers are not allowed to ask you about your criminal or arrest record until they have conditionally offered you a job. This means that an employer cannot at any point ask any questions about your record during the initial stages of the interview process. They also cannot advertise jobs that mandate a “clean record” or “no prior convictions.”

In other words, if you are asked about any prior arrests or criminal convictions during an interview, your rights have been violated. You should immediately consider seeking legal representation if you are asked inappropriate questions about your record during any hiring process, as you are likely the victim of unlawful criminal background discrimination.

New York City employers can only ask you about your criminal or arrest record after they have made a conditional offer of employment. At that point, a prospective employer is permitted to ask about any prior misdemeanor or felony convictions. You are required to answer these questions truthfully. You may also be required to submit to a background check as a condition of employment.

In most situations, employers cannot ask about sealed records, arrests that were resolved in your favor, or youthful offender adjudications, even after a conditional offer of employment has been made. These elements cannot factor into an employment decision. You are not required to answer unlawful questions about these matters, and your answers (or refusal to answer) cannot be used in making a final employment decision.

Can a New York City Employer Withdraw an Employment Offer If I Have a Criminal Record?

An employer does not necessarily have the right to withdraw or rescind a conditional offer of employment should they learn that the prospective employee has a criminal record. Employers are required to follow a strict series of steps to weigh whether hiring the employee constitutes an unnecessary risk to their business.

A New York City employer may only rescind a conditional offer of employment if one of the following conditions is met:

  • The employer can establish a direct relationship between the nature of the prospective employee’s criminal record and the type of position being sought
  • The employer can demonstrate that hiring the employee with a criminal record would represent an unreasonable risk to their property or the safety of others

If an employer believes that they have met one of the qualifying conditions and plans to rescind their offer of employment, they must follow several specific steps. First, they must provide a copy of any background check they conducted on your criminal background. Second, they will need to provide a written explanation of the factors they considered and how they arrived at their decision to withdraw the offer of employment. Finally, they must not hire another candidate for a minimum of 3 days after informing you of their decision. This gives you a chance to formally respond.

Should you be informed that an offering of employment is being revoked as a result of your criminal record, immediately seek legal assistance. Our New York criminal background discrimination attorneys at Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP can help you respond to a rescinded offer and will ensure your rights have not been violated.

If you were discriminated against at any point during the interviewing process as a result of your criminal background, we can explore the legal options available to you. Our team is made up of experienced litigators who are committed to helping individuals with criminal records enforce their rights.

Get the legal assistance you deserve when faced with criminal background discrimination. Call (646) 490-0221 or contact us online to explore your options.

Meet Our Team

Why Choose Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP?

  • 100+ Years of Collective Experience
  • Personalized & Compassionate Service
  • Award-Winning Legal Counsel
  • A Track Record of Success

Our Testimonials

Our Past Clients Speak to Our Experience
    "Always available, conscientious and extremely knowledgeable."

    Outstanding lawyer. Always available, conscientious and extremely knowledgeable. Excellent at following-up both with his clients and with opposing counsel. Regardless of the size of the case, Brian will put in the work and always treat his clients with the utmost professionalism and respect.

    - N.W.
    "I trusted them entirely."

    I received the most compassionate and professional assistance from SP&H. I felt that Mr. Heller truly cared about me and the situation I was in. He was able to be my voice during a difficult time. He responded promptly to any correspondence, took the time to explain to me any questions or concerns, and helped ease any kind of stress that I had during a dispute with a previous employer. I highly recommend this firm. You are not just a number, they treat you like family. I trusted them entirely. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your devoted time and effort in my legal matter.

    - A.M.
    "Their integrity, personal attention, and knowledge are superior."
    Schwartz, Perry & Heller, LLP are the most skilled Lawyers for your discrimination case in the Tri-State area. Their integrity, personal attention, and knowledge are superior. They won my case and can win yours. Nothing beats the best.
    - D.K.
    "Caring, smart, highly skilled negotiators"
    Davida Perry and Brian Heller are very caring, attentive and highly skilled negotiators who gave me expert representation to win my negotiation and achieve my goals.
    - D.
    "Words are inadequate to express how truly grateful I am to Schwartz & Perry, especially Brian Heller for his help."
    Words are inadequate to express how truly grateful I am to Schwartz & Perry, especially Brian Heller for his help. I first met Mr. Schwartz and Brian Heller a few years ago when I was working at an international firm in an IT role when I contacted them for the free consultation because I felt that I was being setup to be fired. I knew I was being treated unfairly by my manager. I felt utterly helpless and had no idea who to turn to. After meeting with Mr. Schwartz and Brian Heller, I came to understand that the unfair treatment I endured was actually discrimination. They counselled me through being fired and negotiating a settlement; an extremely upsetting and exhausting experience. They explained the rules of employment law while treating me with dignity and kindness. Due to the skill and knowledge of these attorneys, I received a substantial settlement and was able to move on to another company with my self-respect intact and without the financial hardship that would have resulted from losing my job. They also ensured that this employer could not damage my reputation going forward with future employers. Recently, when I had another issue with a different employer; I called Brian Heller right away. I knew that Brian, being extremely well versed on the latest employment laws, would be able to help me. Brian carefully guided me and I was able to “ride the wave” of unprofessionalism and threats of litigation coming my way from my former employer’s attorney. My former employer thought that they could bully and frighten me into staying with them longer so that my new job opportunity would no longer be available, and then they could let me go when it was convenient for them - and I’d be out of work. They didn’t know that I have a Secret Weapon – Brian Heller! Once Brian was on the case, those threats ceased and I was able to accept my new wonderful job and leave the worry and stress behind. I highly recommend Brian Heller and Schwartz & Perry as a firm. Over the years Brian has always treated me with kindness and respect and I have peace of mind because I have someone I trust who is on my side, who can guide me and who is willing and extremely capable of protecting my rights.
    - Former Client
    "From day 1 of the consultation to the very end I felt like the most important client to the firm."
    Amazing team of Attorneys. From day 1 of the consultation to the very end I felt like the most important client to the firm. Brian Heller who I dealt with personally was amazing. Whether it was a call or email responses were very prompt and I was kept informed every step of the way. Even a few calls just to check in and say hello. Truly an incredible experience and I would recommend them to anyone seeking justice. If they take your case they will fight with you to the end. A+
    - D.W.
    "We remain tremendously grateful for his support and look forward to working with him again."
    On short notice, Brian Heller reviewed contracts with complex international dimensions and found important discrepancies that I and other senior-level executives had missed completely. He was fast, thorough, and detail-oriented in providing pragmatic advice that enabled us to be sure that we were getting the fairest and best possible treatment under the law. We remain tremendously grateful for his support and look forward to working with him again.
    - Eric
    "Davida Perry not only did an amazing job calming down my nerves but she fought for me tooth and nail and did a great job securing what my past employer owed me."
    After having a terrible experience at my last job, facing the anxiety again of having to rehash the treatment was daunting. Davida Perry not only did an amazing job calming down my nerves but she fought for me tooth and nail and did a great job securing what my past employer owed me. I won’t lie, there were moments I wanted to give up, but Davida was always there to help me stay focused and realize that I didn’t need to let them win. She was really great at countering all of their arguments, I pity anyone that would try to prove her wrong. She thought of everything we need and kept me constantly updated. Mostly what I appreciated about Davida was her kindness, and her genuine care for my mental health. She wanted to make sure I was taking care of myself during a very trying time. I cannot recommend this firm enough. They all clearly care about their clients and want to do best for you. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself, and if you’re worried about the challenges that lie ahead be sure to team with Schwartz Perry & Heller, they will have your back and fight for justice.
    - T.B.