During our last Organizational Theory and Behavior class, we discussed the case of theft at the Clarkston Co. This brought up the subject of peoples' personal records in the workplace. I decided to blog about this subject because it is one I have a very strong opinion about. When people apply for a job, they are usually asked on their application if they have a criminal record and most employers conduct background checks. Many jobs will not hire people with a criminal record, especially if they have a felony. I personally think that this is extremely unfair and inappropriate. How can we expect felons to rehabilitate themselves and better their lives if we exclude them from society? Additionally, I think it is wrong to make it difficult for someone or to not allow them to make a decent living to support themselves. Of course, I am not saying that we should simply allow hardened criminals to have any job they want. I believe a felony record should exclude someone from a job if the job pertains to the crime or if they were a violent offender. Yes, I do think there are certain cases for a criminal record to make an impact, but not nearly to the extent that it does now. Not only does this kind of exclusion make it hard for criminals to turn their lives around, but many truely are hard-working, effecient, talented workers who do have a lot to offer an organization. By excluding them from the workplace, organizations are missing out on potentially good employees. Also, many times, by excluding felons/criminals from the workplace, the people who are associated with the felon/criminal are often negatively affected by this kind of profiling....take me for example:
My boyfriend and I live together. He has a felony record; none of his crimes were violent, he didn't hurt anyone, he didn't steal anything, he had a drug problem just like millions of other Americans. He is no fully recovered and doing great...we have a wonderful, healthy life and we are truely happy. However, he has a felony record. He was released from jail in May....it is almost March and he still cannot get a jog because of his record. He is extremely bright, educated. hard working, and reliable. Yet when he goes to apply for a job, the word "felony" stains his application. However, we still have bills to pay. So now the burden has been placed on me. I have to work extra hours while going to school fulltime so I can pay all of our bills by myself. I do NOT have a criminal record, and yet I am struggling.
In conclusion, I stongly believe there must be some changes made to how this system works. First, we cannot expect criminals to better themselves if they cannot even get a job. Second, organizations are missing out on potentially great workers by partaking in this kind of exclusion. And lastly, others, who did not commit any crimes are affected by this practice. Therefore, I truely believe we must stop profiling felons so harshly and making it so hard for them to get jobs.
I agree that the label of "felon" or "ex-felon" is extremely difficult to overcome. As many disabled individuals have noted… it is not so much the disability that presents the difficulty but the label itself. Your partner is a case in point. He sounds like someone ready to move on with his life and yet the label is like a heavy weight. People’s perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs – even when in error – are powerful. Education is clearly important in overcoming biases but also important are our organizational policies. Unfortunately, one’s criminal record (unless dealing with juveniles) is not a legally protected category. Perhaps it should be. It makes good organizational sense to protect our best workers, and establishing policies to do so is a step in that direction. Don’t forget that poor economic conditions make for a much more competitive labor pool and that may also be exasperating the problem. (That latter point comes straight from a “situationalist” perspective.)
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