Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced his intention to support efforts to remove the box on employment applications that asks potential employees to check "yes" or "no" if they've been convicted of a crime. Despite a disclosure that answering "yes" will not necessarily disqualify the candidate from employment, the mayor maintains that checking "yes" often does result in automatic disqualification.
Many ex-offenders have trouble finding a job because of the question on applications, and finding employment is a vital step in beginning to live a normal life after serving their time. Even if an application does not include a question about criminal convictions, many employers now require criminal background checks.
Mayor Nutter signed Philadelphia Bill 110111-A, the Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Act on April 13. The act prohibits the controversial criminal conviction box from appearing on applications, and does not allow employers to ask about any criminal arrests that did not result in a conviction. Additionally, employers cannot ask candidates about any past convictions during the application process or first interview.
A criminal background check is still permitted, but employers may not run a check before conducting the first interview. Employers that do not interview candidates before offering employment are not permitted to collect any data about past arrests or convictions.
The act is partially aimed at helping lower Philadelphia's 25% poverty rate. Many ex-offenders are released from prison and unable to find a job because employers have asked about their criminal record, adding to the poverty issues Philadelphia currently faces and adding to the draining of welfare funding. The mayor hopes that the act helps ex-offenders make a positive impression on employers during the application and interview process, before any criminal history is revealed.
To encourage employers to hire those with past convictions, the city of Philadelphia has developed a program to give tax incentives to employers that hire ex-offenders. The city hopes to set an example by having first removed the conviction box from applications for government employment. Philadelphia has also hired 132 ex-offenders in an attempt to encourage employers to do the same.
Philadelphia is not the first city to advocate the employment of ex-offenders and "banning the box". Boston already has a "ban the box" policy, and several state governments, including Hawaii and Massachusetts, have passed laws banning private employers from asking about criminal history on job applications.
MyBackgroundCheck.com encourages job seekers to know what’s on their background before anyone else views it. For around $10 a month, job seekers can monitor their background check, know what’s on it and receive email alerts when information changes. Additionally, a free guide, “The Ultimate Job Seeker’s Guide”, is available for download at http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/JobSeekerGuide which includes valuable tips to ace interviews and land better jobs.
