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Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn
Attorney Lester Rosen, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Employment Screening Resources® (ESR), was asked to share the best steps for Human Resources (HR) professionals to take back to workplaces following his appearance at the 2021 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference and Expo.
Rosen suggested that HR “use criminal records carefully” and comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance that is concerned about systemic barriers to employment. If criminal records are used to automatically reduce employment opportunities, it can have an oversized impact on protected groups.
“The automatic disqualification of applicants with a criminal record can be discriminatory under the EEOC guidance and violate Ban the Box and Fair Chance hiring laws. Some applicants need a second chance and may well be great employees,” said Rosen, author of The Safe Hiring Manual, a guide to background checks.
Rosen’s answer was posted on The SHRM Blog in a story titled “Twenty-One Ways For HR To Create Meaningful Change After #SHRM21.” The blog written by Brett Farmiloe, who has been a keynote speaker at several state SHRM conferences, listed answers from 21 HR experts on how to create meaningful change in the workplace.
Rosen was also previously interviewed by Farmiloe about presenting two sessions at the 2021 SHRM Annual Conference and Expo that was held in early September in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rosen was asked about “Background Screening Programs & The Use of Criminal Records in Hiring” in a story posted on The SHRM Blog.
“Employers need to be aware that criminal records can have a discriminatory impact on job applicants. The EEOC is concerned about systemic barriers to employment, and if criminal records are used to automatically reduce employment opportunities, that can have an oversized impact on protected groups,” Rosen explained.
SHRM – the largest HR organization in the world – creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. With more than 300,000 HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. To learn more about SHRM, visit www.shrm.org.
Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) – a leading global background check firm ranked the number one screening firm by HRO Today in 2020 – offers comprehensive background screening services that help employers make compliant and informed hiring decisions. To learn more about ESR, visit www.esrcheck.com.
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.
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