Publications Campaigns Staff About News Donate Search... ENSURING PEOPLE WITH CONVICTIONS HAVE A FAIR CHANCE TO WORK Tweet Share Email An estimated 70 million people in the United States—nearly one in three adults—have a prior arrest or conviction record. A racially biased criminal justice system and mass incarceration have severely impacted communities of color. A conviction in one’s past shouldn’t be a life sentence to joblessness. NELP is working to expand fair-chance hiring laws to every corner of the nation, because everyone deserves an opportunity to work for a better life. The Business Case for Fair-Chance Employment Billions lost to our economy because of the poor job prospects of people with records is a real business concern, but the human potential squandered and the negative impact on our communities are the real tragedies. Employers can take concrete actions to be part of the solution. Find out more in our blog. RESOURCES Our Business Case factsheet briefly lays out the reasons that employers should give a fair chance to workers with records. We have featured Smoke Berkeley and Give Something Back Office Supplies as businesses that have successfully hired people with records. The White House Fair Chance Business Pledge factsheet lists employers that have adopted elements of fair-chance employment. Newest signatories here. Fair Chance – Ban the Box Toolkit The Fair Chance – Ban the Box Toolkit was developed to be a one-stop, comprehensive resource for advocates interested in bringing fair chance hiring reform to their communities. As a national organization, we’ve benefited from hearing from leaders and experts about their campaigns. We’ve distilled these “lessons learned” into the Toolkit. For example, included are: Best Practices and Model Policies Factsheets Research Summary Innovative strategies, like community benefits agreements Contact Michelle Natividad Rodriguez at mrodriguez@nelp.org for assistance. New Yorkers urged passage of the NYC Fair Chance Act at a December 2014 rally by VOCAL-NY and allies. Fair-Chance Reform in the Nation is Growing Rapidly From 2013 to 2014, more than twice as many jurisdictions adopted policies to reduce hiring barriers for qualified job seekers with a past conviction. Note: Some jurisdictions were counted twice, because additional policies were adopted for the same jurisdiction in multiple years. Fair Chance Licensing Reform More than 70 million people with a record in the United States either face significant barriers when seeking a license to work, which is now required for one in four jobs, including many good-paying jobs that are in high demand in healthcare and other industries, or—even worse—they are automatically disqualified, sometimes for life. A license to work is now required for one in four jobs. The fact sheet: Fair Chance Licensing Reform Takes Hold in the States summarizes 2018 legislative updates in occupational licensing. New bills have been signed into law in Delaware, Indiana, and Massachusetts, and legislation is awaiting the signature of the Governors of Maryland and Tennessee. Additional bills worth noting have been introduced in the District of Columbia and at least three states (including California, Kansas, and Rhode Island). The toolkit: Fair Chance Licensing Reform: Opening Pathways for People with Records to Join Licensed Professions (October 2017) is intended to provide lawmakers and advocates in states across the country with the resources necessary to set about the work of fair chance licensing reform. The report Unlicensed & Untapped: Removing Barriers To State Occupational Licenses For People With Records (April 2016) provides the landscape of state occupational licensing barriers and recommendations for fairer state licensing laws. LEARN MORE Implementation of California's AB1008 Fair Chance Hiring Laws The California Fair Chance Act (AB 1008) took effect on January 1, 2018. The law ensures that employers fairly consider job applicants with a record by delaying when an employer can ask about an applicant’s conviction history or run a background check. This FactSheet outlines the law and Fair Chance hiring process, and explains jobseeker rights: The California Fair Chance Act: Know Your Rights as a Jobseeker Under the New ‘Ban the Box’ Law This Blog summarizes best practices for Employers to achieve compliance with all four California laws, and to advance statewide best practices: Fair Chance Hiring in the Golden State: 10 “Best Practices” for Employers The “Unlocking Opportunity for People with Records and Their Families” conference was held in Washington, DC on October 23-24, 2017. Links to conference videos and resources are below. VISIT WEBSITE RELATED PUBLICATIONS Amicus Brief Amicus Brief Defending EEOC Guidance on Use of Criminal Background Checks September 21, 2018 READ MORE Fact Sheet, FAQ Fair Chance Licensing Reform Takes Hold in the States May 15, 2018 READ MORE Ban the Box & Fair-Chance FAQs What is “ban the box”? What is a fair-chance policy? What doesn’t a fair-chance policy do? Do fair-chance policies work? Who supports fair-chance policies? Who has adopted fair-chance policies? Contact National Employment Law Project 90 Broad Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10004 Work With Us View Job Openings Follow us General Inquiries nelp@nelp.org Subscribe The site is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. Website by Briteweb BACK TO TOP OF PAGE