This Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. memorandum discusses a new Connecticut law governing background checks in the employment context. Effective October 1, 2011, covered employers may not require employees or job applicants to consent to credit reports that include credit scores, account balances, payment history and related information. Limited exceptions exist for financial institutions, employers legally required to obtain credit reports with this information, employers that reasonably believe the employee violated the law related to his employment, and if the report is substantially related to the job or the employer has a bona fide job-related reason for requesting or using the information.