Harris County Expands Opportunity by Adoping Fair Chance Hiring Policy

The labor movement is founded on the belief that everyone deserves a fair shot at a good life, and earlier this month, Harris County took a big step toward making that happen for thousands of residents by approving a new fair chance hiring policy.

Fair chance hiring, or ban-the-box, removes initial barriers one might face from a conviction and enables applicants to be judged on all their merits. This policy will prohibit county departments from including a criminal history question on the application, except for law enforcement.

“We support your considering applicants on their merits first, not on their past mistakes, said Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Organizing Director Linda Morales. “As an employer under a Fair Chance policy, Harris County would be best able to assess qualified candidates and give all applicants a fair chance to turn their lives around and shine.”

According to the National Employment Law Project (NELP), nearly one in three U.S. adults has an arrest or conviction record that can show up on an employment background check. Those with records are disproportionately people of color, who already face greater obstacles when seeking work.

Preventing automatic disqualification of applicants before their merits can be considered gives ex-offenders a fair chance at securing work. It also benefits employers by encouraging them to consider worthy applicants whose full circumstances can be taken into account.

“The policy will prohibit blanket disqualification of applicants solely because they have a conviction,” Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee told Houston Public Media. “Instead, what it’s going to call for is an individualized assessment of various factors, including what was the nature of the offense. What is the position that the applicant is applying for?”

The “Ban the Box” policy will allow departments to conduct a criminal background check only after a conditional offer of employment. When a background check is performed later in the process, employers are more likely to consider the context of the applicant’s record, as well as relevant skills and experience, while also ensuring that our workplaces are safe.

Thousands of Harris County resident have served their time and have the skills to be good employees and earn a living for their family. The new fair chance policy will expand opportunity for county employment by ensuring applicants are judged on their merits first, not on their past mistakes.

We’re thankful to Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee for championing the fair shot policy, and to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioners Adrian Garcia and Rodney Ellis for delivering another win for working people in Harris County.

The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation (TGCALF), AFL-CIO unites the power of 92 unions representing 60,000 union members across 13 counties to advocate for working families in the Texas Gulf Coast. We mobilize our members and community partners to demand a fair shot at better lives for all working people — regardless of the color of our skin, which country we come from, or whom we love. Learn more: www.gcaflcio.org/