Appendix 4

Model Corporate Policy

Sample 2

Second Chance Employment Policy

OUR Co.’s employment philosophy is to hire the most qualified candidates, keep OUR Co. employees and customers safe, prevent unlawful behavior in OUR Co. business, and preserve OUR Co.’s reputation and brand image.

OUR Co. recognizes that many people have made mistakes that result in an arrest and/or conviction record and that people with an arrest and/or conviction record are often capable of becoming valuable employees.

Studies show that employment is the single most important factor in reducing recidivism; that people with an arrest and/or conviction record are no more likely to be fired for misconduct than people without records; and that they’re statistically less likely to quit, which saves employers a considerable amount in turnover costs.

OUR Co.’s Second Chance Employment Policy will greatly expand the talent pool of qualified candidates from which we recruit, offering more creative problem solving, greater empathy, higher engagement, and unique and valuable viewpoints that will help to build a more equitable, diverse, and overall stronger workplace.

Everyone, regardless of background, has the right to be fairly assessed for a role they are qualified for. We consider an arrest and/or conviction record as only one factor in the hiring decision process. An arrest and/or conviction record, in and of itself, is not a disqualification for employment. In some limited circumstances, such as the following, an arrest and/or conviction record may result in the candidate’s rejection for employment:

1. There is a connection between the nature of the offense and the nature of the job;
2. The offense is recent enough to be of concern;
3. There is insufficient evidence of rehabilitation;
4. The risk posed by the criminal record outweighs the candidate’s qualifications.

OUR Co.’s Second Chance Hiring Program reflects an intentional strategy that has been
reviewed and endorsed by OUR Co.’s top leadership, HR, recruiting and legal advisors. Some specific elements of this strategy include a commitment to:

Open and sustain collaboration with local community partners to identify individuals who, in spite of an arrest and/or conviction record, would be talented applicants for employment;

“Ban the box”, delete any references on job application documents to arrest and/or conviction records;

Conduct skills-based interviews;

Conduct a criminal records check and assess a candidate’s conviction record only after the candidate has been interviewed and is considered qualified for a role with OUR Co.;

Fairly assess a candidate’s conviction record by evaluating the nature of their conviction, the length of time that has passed since the offense, and the nature of the job for which the candidate has been otherwise deemed qualified.

This Second Chance Hiring strategy does not signify an abandonment of more traditional,
existing recruiting and hiring approaches. Instead, it is intended to supplement and expand
pathways to employment at OUR Co.

By implementing these procedures, OUR Co. intends to be proactive about establishing a new, expanded pipeline of qualified candidates who, because of an arrest and/or conviction record, are otherwise likely to miss out on job interviews, employment and career opportunities.

OUR Co. commits to assessing the candidate, not the record.

Sample 2 Hiring Program