Meet with applicant to discuss convictions

Many Americans have criminal records. The EEOC and local government agencies want to help former convicts start over. The movement to “ban the box” on job applications—the box those with criminal histories are supposed to check—is part of that trend. So is the EEOC’s position that barring applicants with criminal records from employment may amount to discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Employers that refuse to consider any applicant who has a criminal record risk litigation.