Second Chance - Ban The Box

Background

Business In The Community is a business- led charity, which is able to engage over 330 senior business-leaders around the UK. Its ambition is to provide young people, especially those who are socially disadvantaged, with support from business to help them build successful working lives.

The organisation wanted to raise awareness of the prejudice faced by ex- offenders when they try to return to work.

The Ban the Box campaign was designed to get support for legislation to remove the tick box from job application forms that asked about criminal convictions. Research had shown that 75% of employers used a criminal conviction as a reason to reject the candidate without giving candidates any chance to demonstrate their abilities.