Wisconsin Expands Arrest Record Protections - HR ALERTS
- Regina Dyerly, SHRBP, PHR
- May 23
- 1 min read
Wisconsin Expands Arrest Record Protections

Effective: N/A
New Court Ruling:
The Wisconsin Supreme Court recently clarified that arrest record discrimination protections apply to non-criminal offenses as well as criminal offenses.
Non-criminal offenses are punishable by a civil penalty rather than jail time (examples include minor traffic violations like failure to signal and first-time operating-while-intoxicated offenses).
The Court emphasized that the law’s broad definition of an "arrest record" includes questioning, apprehension, investigation, arrest, charges, or trial for any felony, misdemeanor, or other offense — including non-criminal offenses.
Action Item for Employers:
Ensure all hiring managers and decision-makers understand that they cannot take adverse employment actions based on a non-criminal arrest record, unless the offense is substantially related to the job duties.
Get day-to-day updates on Wisconsin Expands Arrest Record Protections visit the Vida HR Knowledge Center (Vida HR Clients Exclusive).
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