"National Reentry Week" Encourages Fair Hiring Practices

The U.S. Justice Department has designated this week as “National Reentry Week” with events happening around the country designed to help those with criminal histories reenter the workforce.

This follows President Obama’s recent meeting with 19 companies at the White House to unveil the Fair Chance Business Pledge. The pledge is a voluntary initiative that encourages companies to remove barriers for people with criminal backgrounds when applying for jobs.

Those who sign the pledge are encouraged to take the following actions:

• "Banning the Box" by delaying criminal history questions until later in the hiring process;
• Training human resources staff on making fair decisions regarding applicants with criminal records;
• Ensuring internships and job training are available to individuals with criminal records;
• Using reliable background check providers to help ensure accuracy; and
• Hosting a Fair Chance and Opportunity Job Fair

The 19 initial signatories include major companies such as American Airlines, Busboys and Poets, The Coca-Cola Company, Facebook, Georgia Pacific, Google, Greyston Bakery, The Hershey Company, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, Koch Industries, Libra Group, PepsiCo, Prudential, Starbucks, Uber, Under Armour/Plank Industries, Unilever and Xerox.