Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin is encouraging businesses to sign onto President Obama’s “Fair Chance Business Pledge.” It’s a call-to-action for the private sector to eliminate employment barriers for those with a criminal record and to create a pathway for a second chance.
This week, the Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill that would prohibit most employers from asking about criminal histories during the job-application process.
Bronin in his announcement quoted statistics that claim one-in-three American adults have some criminal record, according to the Center for American Progress. He also cited the fact that a conviction record reduces the likelihood of a follow-up interview or job offer by nearly one-half, according to the Council of State Governments.
Nationwide, more than 100 cities and counties — including Hartford — as well as more than 20 states, have adopted “ban-the-box” policies to encourage employers to put a candidate’s qualifications first. At the federal level, President Barack Obama backed a ban-the-box policy in directing federal agencies to wait until later in the hiring process to look into job applicants’ records.
“I’ve spoken to countless business owners throughout Hartford,” said Bronin. “They’ve told me that, often, returning citizens are their hardest workers, because they know how far they’ve come, how hard they’ve had to work to get there, and how much they have to lose.”
