Business leaders slammed the City Council Wednesday for passing a bill that they argue will make it more difficult for employers to create jobs and operate in New York.
The bill includes, The Fair Chance Act, that prevents business owners from initially inquiring about a potential employee's criminal history.
The Fair Chance Act, also known as the "Ban the Box" bill, in reference to check boxes on job applications asking if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime, would ban employers from digging up criminal histories until the end of the application process and require employers who rejected applicants with criminal histories to explain why in writing. Earlier this year, the council also approved legislation that would ban employers from checking the credit score of potential hires.
Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, said the new bill could result in fewer job opportunities. "This bill is an example of ideology trumping practicality," Ms. Wylde said in a statement. "New York state already has a strong anti-discrimination law on the books to protect ex-offenders from unfair discrimination in the job market. A bill like this discourages employers and ends up resulting in fewer, not more, job opportunities for the people the City Council wants to help."
But supporters, including Orange Is the New Black author Piper Kerman, said the bill will help ensure that ex-convicts, who largely come from minority communities, are not unlawfully shut out of the job market. "The legislation would not hurt employers," said Councilman Jumaane Williams, D-Brooklyn.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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