California SB 7 and Employment Checks: What Workers Need to Know

A proposed new law in California could change how employers screen job applicants — and it has major implications for workers with past criminal records. Senate Bill 7 (SB 7), currently under consideration in the California legislature, would expand existing “ban the box” protections that restrict when and how employers can ask about or consider criminal history during hiring. At Fraigun Law Group, we are watching this closely, because any law that shapes access to employment affects workers’ rights and opportunities across the state.

What Is SB 7?

SB 7 builds on California’s Fair Chance Act, which already limits how and when employers can ask about an applicant’s criminal background. Under that existing law, employers must wait until after a conditional offer of employment is made before inquiring into a candidate’s criminal history.

SB 7 goes a step further. If passed, it would:

• Prohibit employers from considering certain low-level or old convictions
  
• Require additional justification for withdrawing a job offer based on a criminal record
  
• Increase transparency and documentation when background checks are used
  
• Strengthen worker protections against bias during the hiring process
  

The goal is to help individuals who have completed their sentences get a fair shot at employment, without being automatically screened out before their qualifications are considered.

Why This Matters to California Workers

For workers in Los Angeles and across California, the background check process can be a major barrier — especially for jobs in industries like retail, transportation, logistics, and food service. Even minor convictions that are years old can lead to unfair rejections, often without a real review of the applicant’s current qualifications or work history.

SB 7 would help level the playing field by limiting employers’ ability to use past convictions as a blanket disqualifier. It would also make it harder for companies to deny someone a job without providing specific reasons backed by evidence that the criminal history is directly related to the job duties.

This matters not only for fairness, but also for racial and economic equity. Studies have shown that background checks disproportionately affect people of color, who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system due to decades of systemic bias. SB 7 is part of a broader movement to reduce those barriers and open more doors to meaningful work.

What Are Your Rights During the Hiring Process?

Even before SB 7 becomes law, California workers already have important protections. Under the Fair Chance Act, most private employers with five or more employees must:

• Wait to ask about criminal history until after a conditional offer is made
  
• Conduct an individualized assessment if a conviction is discovered
  
• Notify the applicant in writing if the offer is being withdrawn
  
• Give the applicant a chance to respond or provide evidence of rehabilitation
  

You do not have to share your entire legal history upfront. If a background check leads to a rejection, you are entitled to know why and to challenge that decision if it was made unfairly.

Fraigun Law Group Supports Fair Employment for All

At Fraigun Law Group, we fight for workers who have been denied fair treatment, including during the hiring process. We understand how background checks, discrimination, and other unfair practices can limit opportunities for individuals who are fully capable and ready to work.

From our Sherman Oaks office, we serve clients across Los Angeles who are trying to move forward but keep running into unjust employment practices. We believe in second chances, transparency, and holding employers accountable when they use someone’s past as an excuse to deny their future.

As SB 7 moves through the legislature, we will continue to follow its progress and keep workers informed. No one should be excluded from the job market based on old mistakes that have no bearing on the work they can do today.