NC Governor Cooper Proclaims April Second Chance Month
Governor Cooper proclaimed April 2021 Second Chance Month in North Carolina, reinforcing the state's fair chance hiring initiatives for employers.
NC Proclaims April 2021 Second Chance Month
On April 12, Governor Cooper proclaimed that April 2021 is Second Chance Month in North Carolina. As stated in the proclamation, “formerly incarcerated individuals face many hurdles in securing employment, housing, transportation, and health care, made even more challenging during a global health crisis.” Furthermore, “efforts are underway at the federal, state, and local levels to establish programs and policies focused on removing the barriers that prevent formerly incarcerated people from pursuing healthy and productive lives”.
Governor Cooper’s proclamation further reinforces his stance of enacting Fair Chance Hiring laws. In November 2020, the Governor issued an executive order that banned most state agencies from asking about an applicant’s criminal record until the person has received an interview. This is in an effort to ensure candidates are not screened out of the hiring process before they have an opportunity to prove their merit. While this order was only enacted for state agencies, private employers may wish to review their process to stay in line with the current best practices and prepare for future updates. Click here to read Governor Cooper’s full proclamation, which also builds on his administration’s broader Ban the Box initiatives for state jobs.
Preparing for Fair Chance Hiring
If you’re a NC employer and would like to audit your screening process, contact CRC’s sales team at (877) 272-0266 or reach out here.
This post reflects North Carolina fair chance hiring guidance as of April 2021, the time of original publication.
