Obama uses EO to ban asking about criminal history on job ap

[WanderingWinoZ]

www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/barack-obama-ban-the-box_5636aee8e4b00aa54a4e8c9d


President Obama To Announce Executive Order To 'Ban The Box'

Federal employers would be prohibited from asking about a job applicant's criminal history.




WASHINGTON -- President Obama on Monday will announce a series of measures designed to reduce obstacles facing former prisoners reintegrating into society, including an executive order directing federal employers to delay asking questions about a job applicant's criminal history until later in the application process.



Many states, cities and private employers have already taken steps to "ban the box," which refers to the checkbox on employment applications asking if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime. However, some federal employers and contractors still ask the question. Obama's executive order will apply to federal employers, but not to contractors.





Civil rights activists have urged Obama to propose the measure, noting that such questions can limit the ability for people with a criminal record to gain employment and get their lives back on track after prison. Advocates argue that those formerly in prison should be allowed to prove their qualifications for a job instead of being eliminated early in the process due to their criminal background.



The issue has come up on the campaign trail, with all three Democratic presidential candidates pledging support for a "ban the box" policy.



Obama will also announce other initiatives designed to improve rehabilitation and re-entry for former inmates, including education and housing grants, as well as partnerships between local municipalities and private companies that would provide jobs and training in technology.




He will also propose more funding for legal aid programs and policies to reduce the legal hurdles for former prisoners applying for public housing, a process which also uses an applicant's criminal history as a factor in determining eligibility.



Obama will unveil these policy proposals at an event in Newark, New Jersey, that will draw attention to success stories of former prisoners. While in Newark, Obama will appear with the city's mayor, Ras Baraka (D), as well as Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who has introduced criminal justice reform legislation in the Senate. Obama will also visit a residential facility for individuals recovering from substance abuse and participate in a roundtable on criminal justice reform at the Newark campus of Rutgers University.



The announcement continues Obama's recent efforts toward reforming the criminal justice system. As he approaches the end of his presidency, he has pledged to do more to address problems like mass incarceration, mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders and police brutality. This summer, he became the first sitting president to visit a federal prison.



This story has been updated to clarify that the executive order will apply to federal employers, but not to contractors.

[ESF]

GOOD.

Still needs to apply to the private sector but this is a good first start.

[mominatrix]

Massachusetts has had this for a long time, and even increased protections for those with criminal records in 2012.

It was actually enforced through the state civil rights agency, as it was statically tied to race discrimination.

[cookiemdough]

I think this is great but unfortunately I feel like there are already too many hurdles put in place in evaluating an employee that this alone won't make much difference. Now with credit checks, extensive background checks, I think not having a box at the initial screening won't do much to allow for continued employment of those with a criminal history.

[iammalcolmx]

As long as we can still check criminal backgrounds I am fine.

[downtoearth]

Nov 2, 2015 12:40:24 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

I think this is great but unfortunately I feel like there are already too many hurdles put in place in evaluating an employee that this alone won't make much difference. Now with credit checks, extensive background checks, I think not having a box at the initial screening won't do much to allow for continued employment of those with a criminal history.

Credit checks? That's not something government jobs do, right? And can you still get hired if you refuse a credit check for an offer you have from a private sector job?

[StrawberryBlondie]

I think this is great.

[redheadbaker]

Philly has been doing this for four years.

[redheadbaker]

Nov 2, 2015 12:53:50 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Nov 2, 2015 12:40:24 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

I think this is great but unfortunately I feel like there are already too many hurdles put in place in evaluating an employee that this alone won't make much difference. Now with credit checks, extensive background checks, I think not having a box at the initial screening won't do much to allow for continued employment of those with a criminal history.

Credit checks? That's not something government jobs do, right? And can you still get hired if you refuse a credit check for an offer you have from a private sector job?

In my experience, you have to agree to submit to a credit check when first submitting your application, and you can't progress in the application unless you check the "yes" box. 

[downtoearth]

Nov 2, 2015 12:58:24 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

Nov 2, 2015 12:53:50 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Credit checks? That's not something government jobs do, right? And can you still get hired if you refuse a credit check for an offer you have from a private sector job?

In my experience, you have to agree to submit to a credit check when first submitting your application, and you can't progress in the application unless you check the "yes" box. 

How is this not discrimination?

ETA: Obviously I haven't tried to change jobs in about 12 years.

[redheadbaker]

Nov 2, 2015 12:58:38 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Nov 2, 2015 12:58:24 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

In my experience, you have to agree to submit to a credit check when first submitting your application, and you can't progress in the application unless you check the "yes" box. 

How is this not discrimination?

ETA: Obviously I haven't tried to change jobs in about 12 years.

I asked about this years ago (either here or the old board, can't find the thread), and the response was that "poor credit score" isn't a protected class, and employers need SOME way of whittling down the number of applications they receive, despite the fact that credit scores aren't indicative of your employ-ability and/or may not even be accurate. 

[readyin07]

I mean I guess it allows them to get farther into the interview process before they get rejected further along in the process ? That sounds Debbie Downer, but I know that most hiring managers will be skipping over candidates with an undisclosed criminal history that shows up in their background check (which I assume most federal jobs will require, no?)

[iammalcolmx]

This is so hard for me because we hire people with all sorts of felonies. As long as you were not violent we are good. I do recognize this is the exception and not the rule.