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AIM Commends Legislature on Criminal Records Bill

AIM commended Massachusetts legislators for declining to pass a CORI reform bill that would have set back workplace safety by restricting the ability of employers to access the criminal records of job applicants. The bill had received a positive recommendation Wednesday from the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

AIM argued that limiting access to criminal and felony records places the employer, employees, clients and the public at significant risk. In many cases, in order to have a CORI background in Massachusetts an individual may have committed several offenses, prior to being caught or convicted.  That scenario is true especially for sex offenders.

The bill would have reduced the time that criminal records remain open, curtailing the information available to employers during the hiring process. The measure would also have prevented employers from asking candidates about their past, making a full reference check impossible. This change would have made Massachusetts one of the most restrictive states in the country in this area. Current statutory requirements already prescribe a narrow scope of questioning an employer can inquire about an individual’s criminal background throughout the hiring process

"Limiting access to CORI information is the wrong idea and moves our Commonwealth in a direction contrary to our public policy initiatives that aim to protect our most vulnerable populations. Employers have the experience and are best suited to make hiring decisions based on the individual candidate and the position sought. This bill would limit access to the very information that makes an informed decision possible," the association wrote to lawmakers last week.

 AIM said the involvement of hundreds of member employers, especially those in the human resources field, played a significant role in the outcome of the CORI legislation.