Employee criminal history no longer a factor in Bed Bath and Beyond hiring

After a human resources manager from Bed Bath and Beyond represented the company at a job fair and distributed materials that stated that the company does not employ those with felony convictions, the New York state attorney general’s office launched an investigation to ensure that the retailer complies with anti-discrimination laws regarding employee criminal history. Bed Bath and Beyond will settle with a $125,000 fine, which includes $40,000 in restitution payments for candidates who were denied employment due to discrimination over employee criminal history records. The company also agreed to comply with New York state laws and train its staff members to do so as well, though the company does not admit to any wrongdoing. New York state law does not allow employers to disqualify candidates based solely on employee criminal history, a practice that is also illegal in several other cities and states that have enacted “ban the box” policies. Employers are asked to be open to looking at a candidate’s record, and make decisions based on not only a candidate’s previous work, but on their efforts to rehabilitate and how long it has been since their previous conviction(s). Bed Bath and Beyond operates more than 1400 stores across the United States. It is estimated that more than 70 million Americans have a criminal record, according to the National Employment Law Project. For more information about avoiding discrimination in your search for employees, contact Mind Your Business. photo credit: JeepersMedia via photopin cc]]>