Two peanuts walked in
to a bar. One was a-salted.
I don’t care who you are, that right there is some funny
stuff!
A couple of years ago the company where I
serve was nominated for an award from the state. Part of the nomination process was that we
were asked to give employees the opportunity to share their thoughts about the
company. After a few days my desk had a
lovely stack of letters to sort through.
(Anyone who has ever seen my office knows that is a lie. There has never been a lovely stack of
anything on my desk!)
Exhibit
A:
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I regress. As I
sorted through the letters, there were several with a recurring theme. These
letters were written by employees with criminal backgrounds. Employees who committed a crime, served their
time, and were ready to start fresh. In
their letters these employees, mostly ladies, talked about the looks they received
from some HR departments. The countless
applications with no call back. The fear of not being able to be
self-sufficient.
These employees went on to talk about how grateful they were
for the opportunities they have been given at our company. Opportunities for growth and
advancement. A chance to be judged on
performance and not on the past. One
spoke of her loyalty to us, because we had believed in her when she no longer
believed in herself.
I strongly believe in the importance of background checks
and the information they provide potential employers. I also believe in second chances. If you have not already done so, I encourage
you to review the EEOC Guidance on Consideration of Arrest and Conviction
Records in Employment Decisions. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm I, like most HR professionals, am never a fan
of new opportunities for litigation. However,
I think this topic is worthy of your consideration, because the truth of the
matter is this…Some of my brightest stars used to wear stripes!
Until next time… Peace, Love and
People!
Tiffany
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