Los Angeles county enacts Fair Chance Ordinance for unincorporated areas

At a glance

• The County of Los Angeles adopted the Fair Chance Ordinance (FCO) on February 7, 2024, effective from September 3, 2024, imposing new requirements on employers with five or more employees.
• The FCO complements existing fair chance laws in California, including the state’s Fair Chance Act, and introduces additional compliance requirements and penalties for violators.
• The FCO applies to employers located or doing business in the unincorporated areas of the County and protects individuals who apply for employment, as well as employees who perform at least two hours of work on average each week within these areas.
• Key requirements under the FCO include specific job posting rules, workplace and electronic notice requirements, conditional offer of employment rules, background check notice and delay provisions, and retaliation prohibition.
• Employers must maintain and preserve all records relating to the FCO for a minimum of four years following receipt of an applicant’s employment application.
• The FCO authorizes both public and private remedies, including civil claims by aggrieved individuals, with penalties for each aggrieved applicant or employee of up to USD5,000 for the first violation, USD10,000 for the second violation, and USD20,000 for the third and subsequent violations.