Ban the box

[Jazzy]

Ban the box is the name of an international campaign by civil rights groups and advocates for ex-offenders, aimed at persuading employers to remove from their hiring applications the check box that asks if applicants have a criminal record. Its purpose is to enable ex-offenders to display their qualifications in the hiring process before being asked about their criminal records. The premise of the campaign is that anything that makes it harder for ex-offenders to find a job makes it likelier that they will re-offend, which is bad for society.

The campaign has been criticized by U.S. industry group the National Retail Federation for exposing companies, their customers and employees to potential crime.

The campaign began in Hawaii in the late 1990s, and has gained strength in other U.S. states following the 2007-2009 recession. Its advocates say it is necessary because a growing number of Americans have criminal records due to tougher sentencing laws particularly for drug crimes, and are having difficulty finding work because of high unemployment and a rise in background checks that followed the September 11 terror attacks on the United States.

As of October 2013, 52 U.S. municipalities and 10 states had in place legislation that "banned the box" for government job applications and also in some cases those of their private contractors. Many such ordinances exempt applications for "sensitive" positions, such as those involving work with children. Target Corporation "banned the box" in October 2013.

In the United Kingdom, corporate social responsibility advocacy charity Business in the Community launched a "ban the box" campaign in October 2013.

Are you in favor or against the Ban the box campaign and why?

 

[Jazzy]

A job hopeful can have an criminal record, but employers can’t find out until after making a job offer? The BTB would hurt all employers. Making an offer only to find out that the applicant has a criminal record which could be disqualifying means the employer turned down other applicants, who may have accepted other job offers in the meantime.

For an applicant to be offered a job only to have that job offer revoked because of a criminal record could open the employer up to an investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The employer would then be forced to explain why the criminal record was relevant to the applicant not getting the job. Big waste of time for employers and employers have potentially lost an applicant that was perfect for the open position.

I'm not saying people don't deserve a second chance but don't allow them hide the fact they have a criminal record. I say keep the box and don't waste anyones time.