When individuals are convicted of crimes, the arrests can stay on their records for years. In some cases, this could prevent them from being interviewed or hired for positions in which they are interested and qualified.
A new bill in Wisconsin might inhibit convicted felons even more. If the bill passes, it will "prohibit employers from being sued for either firing or refusing to hire convicted felons, even if the circumstances of the conviction have nothing to do with the job."
Supporters of the bill say it promotes a "pro-business" environment. Many persons, feel differently. Detractors claim the bill will make it harder for felons to get hired and maintain employment which is a major factor in the rehabilitation process
The law presently affords employers the ability to restrict convicted felons from doing certain jobs, especially jobs that may be directly related related to their convictions. Employers are also permitted to dismiss employees who lie about having a felony conviction when they applied.
The new bill takes things a step further, giving employers reasons to not even take chances on people who have made mistakes in the past. One state representative was especially concerned about the impact the bill would have on the African-American community, where the unemployment level is already at "crisis levels."
If the bill passes, it could make it even more difficult for individuals to find work in Wisconsin. Also if the bill passes, there are fears that other states will pass similar bills making life even more difficult for felons that are trying to get jobs and re-enter society.
I have been helping ex-offenders and felons get jobs for over ten years and I feel I have an understanding of what works. I will be updating this blog often. I will answer specific questions relating to getting a job with a criminal record on this blog so feel free to send me your questions. You can send email me at adogzheart2@gmail.com
My wife is an felon and was hired by a temp agency to work for a company in a warehouse as a forklift operator since she had past experience. She's one of the top producers in her area and has been commended for her work many times. The senior supervisor of the warehouse she works in knew of her background as did the temp agency when they hired her. He offered her to become a permanent employee and said he'd gotten the ball started. Now the HR dept says they don't hire felons...period! The HR people had to have cleared her to work as a temp since they do background checks (per the temp agency), she's been very honest about her past in her applications as well as both the supervisor and the temp agency....so how can they approve her to work temp but not permanent like this?
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