Governor Cooper Issues Executive Order to "Ban the Box"

NASW-NC is thrilled Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 158 to implement fair chance policies at state agencies to increase employment opportunities for people with criminal records. The Order is effective immediately and will be implemented by November 1, 2020.

NASW-NC has worked with partners to advocate for fair chance hiring for decades which reduces employment barriers for people with criminal records.

This is a step in the right direction and NASW-NC will continue to advocate for all state, county, and municipal government agencies and private employers to implement this change as well.

Executive Order 158 will also:

• Remove criminal history questions from the application for state employment and prohibit inquiries into an individual’s criminal history during the initial stages of the hiring process;
• Prohibit the consideration of expunged or pardoned convictions, charges unrelated to the underlying employment matter, arrests not resulting in a conviction, dismissed or ruled not guilty, unless the hiring is prohibited by law;
• Require that necessary background checks not be conducted before the initial job interview for the candidate;
• Require state agencies to provide a reasonable opportunity for applicants to explain the circumstances surrounding relevant conviction(s) and provide proof of rehabilitation, including a Certificate of Relief; and
• Require the North Carolina Department of Administration to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing a fair chance hiring policy that would extend to businesses that contract with the state.

In addition to collecting data to monitor implementation, the Office of State Human Resources will provide training and ensure all state agencies remain compliant with this order.

Read the full Executive Order and frequently asked questions about how it reduces employment barriers for qualified job applicants.