White House Announces New Round of Employers Taking Ban the Box Pledge

Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn

On August 16, 2016, the White House announced a new round of signers of the Obama administration’s Fair Chance Business Pledge that includes Walmart – the largest private employer in the world with 2.2 million employees – to bring the total number of companies and organizations pledging to “Ban the Box” and help job candidates with criminal histories to return to the workforce to 185 employers.

According to the ‘FACT SHEET: White House Announces New Commitments to the Fair Chance Business Pledge,’ companies and organizations that pledged to Ban the Box collectively employ over 3 million Americans. By signing the Fair Chance Business Pledge, these companies demonstrate a commitment to reduce barriers to jobs for the approximately 70 million Americans with some type of criminal record by:

• Using practices such as “Ban the Box” to delay criminal history questions until later in the hiring process;
• Ensuring that information regarding an applicant’s criminal record is considered in proper context; and
• Engaging in hiring practices that do not unnecessarily place jobs out of reach for those with criminal records.

The White House FACT SHEET explains that the Obama Administration is committed to reducing barriers facing individuals with criminal records trying to reenter society. Over 2.2 million individuals are incarcerated in American prisons and jails and the majority of them will return to their communities. Improving education and job opportunities for these individuals reduces crime and helps communities.

Along with Walmart, larger U.S. employers who have taken the White House Fair Chance Business Pledge to Ban the Box include American Airlines, Best Buy, Coca-Cola, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Hersheys, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Kellogg Company, Koch Industries, Lyft, Microsoft, Oklahoma City Thunder, PepsiCo, Prudential, Staples, Starbucks, Uber, UnderArmour, University of Pennsylvania, and Xerox.

The White House launched the Fair Chance Business Pledge in April 2016 to encourage U.S. companies to ensure that all Americans – including individuals with a criminal record – have the opportunity to succeed by eliminating barriers for those job seekers with a criminal record. A full list of employers taking the Ban the Box pledge is at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/issues/criminal-justice/fair-chance-pledge.

More Ban the Box Information from ESR

The Ban the Box movement that removes the box job applicants are asked to check on applications if they have a criminal record is spreading rapidly. Currently, more than 20 states and over 100 cities and counties in America have some form of Ban the Box legislation. Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) offers employers a Ban the Box Information Page that is available at www.esrcheck.com/Ban-the-Box/.

NOTE: Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) does not provide or offer legal services or legal advice of any kind or nature. Any information on this website is for educational purposes only.

© 2016 Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) – Making copies or using of any part of the ESR News Blog or ESR website for any purpose other than your own personal use is prohibited unless written authorization is first obtained from ESR.