An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance has implications for businesses asking job applicants about their criminal history or conducting criminal background checks.
Some suggestions for businesses:
*On job applications, eliminate the question: Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
*Revisit policies that deny employment based on criminal convictions.
*Assess job candidates with a criminal history and consider how long ago the crime was committed, the severity of the crime and whether the crime would have anything to do with the job in question.
*Give the job applicant a chance to explain himself, and take into consideration positive references and rehabilitation efforts.
*Record and document justification for employment decisions for people with criminal histories
*Teach managers about Title VII and how it relates to criminal history discrimination.
SOURCES: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Chicago labor and employment attorney Jeff Nowak
