Target said it had stopped asking people about their criminal backgrounds in its application and that such questions only come up during the final stages of the hiring process. While the retailer believes that background checks are necessary while hiring with the aim of customers’ safety, the Minneapolis-based company has agreed to review its hiring policies and also assist organizations that help people with conviction histories to find jobs.
All individuals included in the dispute can now seek for jobs at Target and those who cannot apply due to retirement or alternative employment will receive monetary benefits.
Of late, many companies have been facing ire over different forms of discrimination. Last month, Gap Inc. had to fire three employees at its Old Navy store for racially profiling a customer. In the tech sector, Google has been facing a number of lawsuits over discrimination against women, conservatives and white men.
Any kind of job discrimination whether it is racial, gender, nationality, disability, etc should be avoided in hiring, fixing salaries, promotions, etc. When it comes to sensitive issues, companies must tread them carefully.