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On March 23, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law the Employee Background Fairness Act, which bans the use of criminal convictions in employment actions in Illinois, with limited exceptions.
The law, which we reported upon here after it was passed by the legislature, makes it a civil rights violation to use a conviction record in any employment-related decision, unless (1) there is a “substantial relationship” between the criminal offense and the position, or (2) it would involve an “unreasonable risk” to property or the safety of a specific individual or the general public.
WBGZ Radio 1/15/2021 |
By Kevin Bessler - Illinois Radio Network
Illinois lawmakers have approved a sweeping bill aimed at narrowing economic disparities affecting Black and brown communities.
The Economic Equity Act was one of 4 pillars that made up the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda, and was introduced by Democratic Representative Sonya Harper.
One part of the bill, called the Employee Background Fairness Act, calls for limiting the ability of employers to use a person’s criminal history to deny someone a job unless there is a direct relationship between the conviction and the job.
“Black people with records can’t get a job,” Harper said.
Criminal backgrounds
One part of the bill, called the Employee Background Fairness Act, calls for strictly limiting the ability of employers to use a personâs criminal history to deny someone a job or take any other adverse action unless there is a âdirect relationshipâ between the conviction and the job, or if there is a specific federal, state or local law prohibiting the employment of such a person.
It also contains similar language regarding housing in buildings under the jurisdiction of public housing authorities.
âIt s just important to note that 55% of Illinois adults have a criminal record, and an applicant with a record is 50% less likely to get a callback for a job offer or an interview than an individual who does not,â said Matt Smith of Cabrini Green Legal Aid. âSo what we see is that just routinely, people who ve been caught up in the criminal legal system, sometimes decades prior, continue to face huge and insurmountable challenges in ge