gimme a job
From MyNewsLA
Hiring a criminal? You’ll be barred from asking in LA
"A proposed ordinance that would bar employers in Los Angeles from asking job applicants to reveal their criminal records during the initial stages of the recruitment process will go before the City Council Wednesday.
The measure would institute a policy known as “fair chance” or “ban the box,” requiring employers to remove check boxes or questions from job forms that ask about an applicant’s criminal record.
If approved by the City Council, employers with 10 or more workers and city contractors would be prohibited from asking about criminal history until a conditional job offer has been made.
An employer that ultimately decides against hiring a person after learning about his or her criminal record would need to provide a justification for why the job offer is being rescinded."
Hmm. Let's see, the Los Angeles City Council is spending taxpayer time helping convicted criminals instead of fixing the HUGE and critical problems in L.A. like traffic, unaffordable housing, high taxes, crime, gangs, job creation, drought. Really? And if the employer does not hire the convicted criminal after finding out they have a criminal record the employer has to provide a "justification"??? What about criminals who committed a serious violent felony? How about a justification of: "Yeah, I didn't hire the person because they committed a series of violent crimes." How about: "They committed murder". Or armed robbery. Or carjacking. Or ___________________.
As I wrote a year ago, when the federal government was considering a nationwide "ban the box" law: "The real-world effect of "ban the box" is that the convicted-felon-job-applicant is given false hope, will not get medium-to-high paying jobs in the private sector anyway because their criminal record will come to light later (and a legally based justification for not hiring provided), and both the ex-felon and the prospective employer have wasted their time by extending the employment process. In fact, thanks to ban the box, the ex-con is likely to become even MORE frustrated and upset when trying to get a good job in the private sector."
If passed this would be yet another stupid local government law. Yes, it's stupid to force businesses to give violent criminals a second chance, and a job, at the expense (and safety) of law abiding taxpaying employers.
UPDATE
Yes, the LA City Council passed the measure, by a vote of 12-1.
