Post by pavel on Apr 21, 2016 5:02:10 GMT -6
State government hiring policy could be more friendly toward ex-convicts under a new bill proposed in the Louisiana Legislature that would ban questions on job applications that ask if the person applying has a criminal record.
Baton Rouge state Reps. C. Denise Marcelle and Patricia Smith, both Democrats, are sponsoring House Bill 266, which would only apply to unclassified employees seeking a state job, with the exception of law enforcement.
The motivation behind the bill, Marcelle and Smith said, is that many ex-convicts who have served their time have difficulty getting a foot in the door with a new employer if their application has a check mark next to the box that indicates a criminal record. An employer can still ask about criminal history during an interview and conduct criminal background checks.
“The idea is to have a face-to-face conversation to discuss criminal backgrounds,” Smith told the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
Read more: theadvocate.com/news/15544660-123/ban-the-box-bill-intended-to-give-ex-convicts-second-change-at-employment-advances-to-house
Baton Rouge state Reps. C. Denise Marcelle and Patricia Smith, both Democrats, are sponsoring House Bill 266, which would only apply to unclassified employees seeking a state job, with the exception of law enforcement.
The motivation behind the bill, Marcelle and Smith said, is that many ex-convicts who have served their time have difficulty getting a foot in the door with a new employer if their application has a check mark next to the box that indicates a criminal record. An employer can still ask about criminal history during an interview and conduct criminal background checks.
“The idea is to have a face-to-face conversation to discuss criminal backgrounds,” Smith told the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
Read more: theadvocate.com/news/15544660-123/ban-the-box-bill-intended-to-give-ex-convicts-second-change-at-employment-advances-to-house