Survey Reveals Americans Want Employers To End Discrimination Against Job Seekers With Criminal Backgrounds; Kelly CEO Encour...
22 Avril 2021 - 1:00PM
Seven in 10 Americans say employers should eliminate blanket-bans
that automatically reject job seekers with minor, non-violent
criminal offenses on their record, according to a Kelly survey
conducted as part of National Second Chance Month.
Kelly today revealed the national survey findings that show
Americans want companies to end discriminatory hiring practices and
policies. The research is part of Kelly’s ongoing Equity@Work
initiative designed to identify and remove systemic and rarely
challenged barriers to work for millions of Americans.
“Nearly one in three Americans now have a criminal history of
some kind, and many are non-violent offenders unable to access work
because of unjust blanket-bans companies have in place,” said Kelly
President and CEO Peter Quigley. “We discourage these blanket-bans
and have changed our internal hiring practices to move to
individualized reviews in order to provide fulltime employment
opportunities to second-chance candidates. We’re collaborating with
leading companies to do the same and encourage others to make more
second chances possible, as well.”
Kelly’s Equity@Work survey of adults in the U.S. shows strong
support for second-chance initiatives:
- 64% of Americans say non-violent mistakes made in the past
should not automatically disqualify a person from being able to
find employment.
- 71% agree employers should eliminate or reduce blanket-bans
that automatically reject job seekers with minor, non-violent
criminal offenses.
- 76% are more likely to support businesses committed to breaking
down discriminatory barriers that prevent Americans from finding
employment.
- 81% say companies should do more to remove discriminatory
hiring policies or practices that keep people from being hired or
promoted.
- 90% say access to employment is important to have a good
quality of life in America.
"Second chances are not just good for people, they are good for
business and our national economy,” said Quigley. “The
non-integration of those with a criminal history costs the U.S.
nearly $80 billion annually. When we knock this barrier down,
companies will significantly increase their talent pool, reduce
turnover rates, improve diversity, equity and inclusion, and
ultimately save money.”
Last year, Kelly also updated its policy around minor drug
offenses – specifically marijuana convictions – to provide people
with low-level criminal offenses greater access to work within the
company. Kelly is also using technology across its job posting
language to facilitate equitable and inclusive terminology.
“Our national economy needs strong labor market participation,”
said Quigley. “Expanding employment opportunities for the nearly 77
million Americans with a criminal record, enables companies to
better meet demand, grow and thrive. It’s not just the right thing,
it’s the smart thing to do.”
Equity@Work Survey MethodologyThe survey was
conducted online by Atomik Research. 1,010 adults in the U.S.
completed the survey between Feb. 8 and 12, 2021. The overall
margin of error fell within +/- 3 percentage points with a
confidence interval of 95%. Researchers implemented sample quotas
based on gender identity, geographical regions, age groups and
ethnicity in order to reflect similar statistically representative
ratios based on U.S. Census reports.
About Kelly®Kelly connects
talented people to companies in need of their skills in areas
including Science, Engineering, Education, Office, Contact Center,
Light Industrial, and more. We’re always thinking about what’s next
in the evolving world of work, and we help people ditch the script
on old ways of thinking and embrace the value of all workstyles in
the workplace. We directly employ nearly 370,000 people around the
world, and we connect thousands more with work through our global
network of talent suppliers and partners in our outsourcing and
consulting practice. Visit kellyservices.com and let us help with
what’s next for you.
Media Contacts:
Jane StehneyKellystehnja@kellyservices.com
Christian TaskeKellychristian.taske@kellyservices.com
Kelly Services (NASDAQ:KELYA)
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