(Reposted from Working America's Main Street Blog)
We cheered the jobs site Indeed.com last week when they formally stated they would not allow job postings that discriminate against the unemployed. Unfortunately, Indeed’s competitors have not been as humane. As federal legislation banning the practice makes its way through Congress, CareerBuilder.com has continued to post job ads that blatantly, and in some cases brazenly, discriminate against unemployed job seekers.
The National Employment Law Project (NELP) has been on CareerBuilder.com’s case for quite some time, but NELP’s Mitchell Hirsch (formerly of this blog) reports that despite pressure, a new wave of discriminatory posts have appeared on the site:
In the last month, however, CareerBuilder.com has continued to post new ads like this one for a Medical Pharma Sales Rep in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which not only says applicants "MUST BE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED" -- it also says: “If you are not currently in medical sales and choose to apply you will not be given the opportunity of an interview and your resume will be deleted.”
This week, NELP announced that they've received 250,000 petition signatures asking to end unemployment discrimination, specifically through legislative action. The signatures were gathered by USAction, Change.org, ColorofChange.org, and CREDO Action. They were joined by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Reps. Rosa DeLaura (D-CT) and Hank Johnson (D-GA), all co-sponsors of the
Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 in the Senate and House respectively.
Sen. Blumenthal heard a story from a constituent that demonstrates the need for the legislation:
As Senator Blumenthal recounted Wednesday from a letter he received, Connecticut resident Kim Keough was laid off in July 2008 after 20 years of work as a human resources professional, with a specialization in benefits. When she recently tried to apply for a local HR position, one for which she was eminently qualified, the recruiter told her that “This particular client is very picky about resumes. They won't consider anyone who isn't currently working.” Keough explained to the recruiter that she had in fact taken a part-time minimum wage job but did not list it on her resume because the job is not in her field. When she asked if she would then be considered, the recruiter nevertheless replied: “No, they are just tough.”
“Companies need to realize that when they exclude unemployed people, they are missing out on great, talented potential employees who would be dedicated – and they are getting a bad reputation as well,” said Keough.
In addition to the Fair Employment Opportunity Act, a stand-alone bill that would ban the practice, a provision in the American Jobs Act would also make this type of discrimination illegal.
President Obama has endorsed both the need for action and both specific pieces of legislation.