Workers Okay with Colleagues Holding Prior Convictions

Job seekers with criminal records, particularly those who were once incarcerated, often have trouble securing employment. The National Employment Law Project estimates that nearly 700,000 individuals are released from incarceration each year. Those who re-enter the job market experience discrimination in the recruiting process, making it more difficult to return to a normal life.

While businesses may remain ambivalent about hiring these workers, a recent report by Indeed showed that employees are becoming more open-minded about working alongside people with prior convictions.

In a survey of more than 1,000 workers from jobs site Indeed:

• 92% said that they are comfortable working alongside a co-worker who has a nonviolent criminal record.
• 91% said that providing fair job opportunities to individuals with a criminal record is essential to society.
• 73% would prefer to work for a company with fair-chance hiring practices.

Source: SHRM.com