For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall
have the following meanings:
APPLICANT
Any person considered or who requests to be considered for
employment by an employer.
CONVICTION
Any sentence imposed by a court of competent jurisdiction
arising from a verdict or plea of guilty, including a sentence of
incarceration, a suspended sentence, a sentence of probation, an unconditional
discharge, or diversion program.
COUNTY
The County of Suffolk, its departments, administrative units,
and related agencies.
EMPLOYER
The County or any person, partnership, corporation, labor
organization, not-for-profit, or association having 15 or more employees.
EMPLOYMENT
An occupation, vocation, job, work for pay, including temporary
or seasonal work, contracted work, contingent work, and work through
the services of a temporary or other employment agency; or any form
of vocational or educational training with or without pay. Employment
shall not, for the purposes of this article, include employment by
any governmental law enforcement agency.
INTERVIEW
Any direct contact by the employer with the applicant, whether
in person or by telephone, to discuss the employment being sought
or the applicant's qualifications.
Suffolk County and any employer located within the County shall
not ask questions regarding or pertaining to an applicant's prior
criminal conviction on any preliminary employment application. Consideration
of the candidate's prior criminal convictions shall take place only
after an application is submitted, after an initial interview or thereafter.