Mikey Campbell
Apple on Thursday said it has reversed course on a policy that previously barred laborers from working on the Campus 2 construction site in Cupertino if they had been convicted of a felony within the last seven years [updated with response from Apple].
Company spokesman Josh Rosenstock informed The San Jose Mercury News of Apple's decision on Thursday, saying a previous requirement that barred felons from working on Campus 2 has been lifted.
Apple's policy caused a bit of a stir when it came to light last week. Unions and advocacy groups voiced their disapproval, saying at the time that construction work is an important stepping stone for many felons looking to reintegrate into the workforce. Some argued that such jobs are important in driving down California's rate of recidivism.
An Apple spokeswoman provided AppleInsider with the following statement on Thursday:
We believe in opportunity for everyone, and Apple has never had a blanket ban on hiring people with felony convictions. It recently came to our attention that, as part of a background check process unique to the Apple Campus 2 construction project, a few applicants were turned away because they had been convicted of a felony within the past seven years. We recognize that this may have excluded some people who deserve a second chance. We have now removed that restriction and instructed our contractors on the project to evaluate all applicants equally, on a case by case basis, as we would for any role at Apple.
According to Mercury News sources, Apple's ban extended beyond construction workers, though fewer than five people were turned away because of their record. The policy also held that potential workers charged but not convicted of a felony would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Apple's policy was not unorthodox within a sphere of private companies concerned with secrecy. For example, military contractors routinely apply similar hiring requirements, while other government related projects require such safeguards. The obvious difference, however, is that Apple is not (as far as we know) working on government funded projects or handling sensitive state data.
Construction at Campus 2 is coming along nicely and Apple expects to move in by 2016.
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Malcolm Owen
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25 Comments
Jesus Christ. God forbid we offend some felons now. A felony is not a minor crime:
The consequences convicted felons face in most states include:
Additionally, many job applications and rental applications ask about felony history (with the exception of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) and answering dishonestly on them can be grounds for rejecting the application, or termination if the lie is discovered after hire. This is because most bonding companies do not issue bonds to convicted felons, which effectively bars them from certain jobs. Additionally, most landlords do not rent to convicted felons due to the risk of legal liability if the renter commits another crime.
It is legal to discriminate against felons in hiring decisions as well as the decision to rent housing to a person, so felons can face barriers to finding both jobs and housing. A common term of parole is to avoid associating with other felons. In some neighborhoods with high rates of felony conviction, this creates a situation where many felons live with a constant threat of being arrested for violating parole.[17] Many banks refuse service to convicted felons, and some states consider a felony conviction grounds for an uncontested divorce.
In some states, restoration of those rights depends on repayment of various fees associated with the felon's arrest, processing, and prison stay, such as restitution to victims, or outstanding fines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felony#United_States
If a person gets their record expunged, that's a different matter altogether.
Good move. It's a helluva stigma to overcome when a person is trying to start over after a prison sentence. Construction work is indeed a good area for someone to prove him or her self.
Jesus Christ. God forbid we offend some felons now.
Seriously, just what the hell is wrong with you?
I believe in second chances, too, but I would be hesitant to hire anyone with a felony on their record within the last 10 years of their conviction date. This is not a misdemeanor we're talking about here. A felony should be punitive.
I believe in second chances, too, but I would be hesitant to hire anyone with a felony on their record within the last 10 years of their conviction date. This is not a misdemeanor we're talking about here. A felony should be punitive.
Agreed. These are serious crimes. A conviction for a non-violent crime and if the record is expunged would be a different matter.