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Lets exclude sex offenders, murderers and major-major league offenders right off the bat. We're not talking about them.
Lets say a drug possession case.
Lets say possession of an illegal gun.
A DUI, petty theft, gambling, battery, whatever.
Let say the offense is aged 7-10 years with no intervening offenses. The person received either probation or a minimal jail sentence.
The PC answer is always 'case by case basis' but in reality, most employers don't work that way and immediately trash anyone who is truthful on their application. Of course, some employers *are* legitimately considerate. Naturally, some professions are absolute barriers (Law Enforcement, sensitive government positions, working with children, etc) but others aren't, yet we seem to be trapped in this bizarro-world where we want to encourage ex-offenders to remain productively employed yet simultaneously systemically restrict them from an array of different professions (Florida is notorious about this, but slowly reversing course).
So, employers: how do you handle the issue of receiving an application with "the checked box" or running a BC on a resume that comes back hot?
Disclaimer: I am very biased, I actively go out of my way to hire ex-offenders for certain positions that don't involve 'keys to the castle' however I won't attack or otherwise negatively judge anyone who is honest about their own hiring practices. Just interested in polling the employers of this forum on how they handle the issue.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Where I work we have to pass not only a standard background check but also a full TSA check, and there are very few offenses that would be allowed. We don't do it until after hiring, but disclose it as a contingency on the application, so if someone lies (rare) they would start work but then be let go within a week or two.
Fiduciary/Financial crimes. Have to, or I can't bond them.
Felony drug crimes within the past seven years.
Anything that causes registration as a sex offender.
Any violent felony in the past seven years
DUI in the past three years (some positions - ones that have to drive)
Failing to disclose anything more than traffic citations on the application.
If I am a convicted felon, no way I don't just go back into whatever I was doing before (selling drugs, pimping, money laundering, etc) over mowing lawns or roofing.
Anything that causes registration as a sex offender.
So.. Someone gets an indecent exposure charge for peeing on the side of the road... That's it? No go? What about someone who got nailed for child porn for taking a selfie? (Admittedly, these crimes would not have hit 10 years old yet)
I don't blame you for the thought process.. It's more a problem with the SOR and what lands people on them.
I worked at a job years ago that started quietly hiring from the work release program for lower level positions. When everyone found out, some people were in an outrage about it. But they for the most part came to work, did their job, did not get involved with problems and were picked up by a bus at the end of the day.
The company was able to pay lower than the going rate to hire them so that was the benefit to the company.
It's an employers market. I have so many choices, why would I ever bother with people with a record when there's a million other applicants who haven't made poor decisions? Think before you act. I don't care if you were young. I was young once too, and guess what? I never committed crime.
It's an employers market. I have so many choices, why would I ever bother with people with a record when there's a million other applicants who haven't made poor decisions? Think before you act. I don't care if you were young. I was young once too, and guess what? I never committed crime.
I can understand this, but isn't this perpetuating the problem?
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