(2) An employer may not advertise employment openings in a way that excludes people with criminal records from applying. This webpage contains resources for job applicants and employees with an arrest or conviction record, and employers who are considering whether to hire them.Under Washington law, employers asking about arrests must also ask whether: â–·charges are still pending or have been dismissed. An arrest and conviction record can be a barrier to employment. Many employers conduct background checks or hire third-party vendors to do so on their behalf. Under this law, public employers and private employers are prohibited from asking questions about criminal convictions on their applications. If you ask applicants for criminal history information, consider waiting until later in the hiring process to do so. It is allowed per RCW 43.43. 730, and they even have a page of information on arrest records. Use of arrest and conviction information, WAC 162.12.