The city of Atlanta, Georgia recently adopted a new ordinance amending its Anti-Discrimination law to include broader protections based on criminal history and gender expression. The ordinance applies to all private employers with ten or more employees. However, it is unclear if that includes employers who have a physical location within the city, employers located outside of the city that do business within its limits, or both.

Effective immediately, private employers in Atlanta with ten or more employees are prohibited from:

• Refusing to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his or her compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, domestic relationship status, parental status, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, criminal history status, age, or disability.
• Limiting, segregating, or classifying employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his or her status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, domestic relationship status, parental status, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, criminal history status, age, or disability.
• Discriminating against any individual because of his or her race, color, creed, religion, sex, domestic relationship status, parental status, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, criminal history status, age, or disability in admission to, or employment in, any program established to provide apprenticeship or other training.

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Atlanta employers, whether physically located in the city or doing business there, should review their hiring, termination, background check, and anti-discrimination policies to ensure they remain in compliance.

As always, Hire Image is here to help. Please contact us if you have any questions about your own background screening practices.