3 ms·
> Could we have laws that restrict companies from considering criminal records past x number of years in the US? I'm not sure if that'd be possible in our curre
by eli 8y ago
> Could we have laws that restrict companies from considering criminal records past x number of years in the US? I'm not sure if that'd be possible in our currently legal system.
Yes, these laws exist in many places in the US often under the name "ban the box"
Here in DC, it is illegal for me to obtain an applicant's criminal record until after I've made an offer and I cannot withdraw an offer simply because the applicant has a record.
I think SF and NYC have some version of this as well.
- chii 8y ago> I cannot withdraw an offer simply because the applicant has a record. how is this proven? If you fired an employee after a "while", may be siting business reasons, how does the employee prove that you checked the criminal record, and then that information is what led to the termination?
- organsnyder 8y agoAt that point, you've spent a fair amount of money onboarding the employee, and they'd likely be eligible to file for unemployment benefits. Even if there are no further repercussions under the "ban the box" regulations, it still tips the scale—at least a bit—toward reducing the friction for those with criminal records to obtain employment.
- hobs 8y agoThey dont. Employees are continually screwed over by employers, and even so most people work in Employment At Will states - so its even harder to prove it was anything.
- eli 8y agoYou prove it in court just like any other employment discrimination case. The law doesn't need to catch 100% of lawbreakers to work effectively.
- pm24601 8y agoIt prevents computer-based application filtering.