Hire the Qualified
There is a new movement that has come from some of the people active in the Delaware social media scene to preempt some of the awful discrimination that is now facing the unemployed and others.
In an economy that now has 5 unemployed workers for every open job, some employers have started putting disqualifiers in their help wanted ads. For example, some companies are blatantly saying that unemployed people will not be considered for their job openings.
Enter Laurie Bick, Phil Woods and Ken Grant. They have started Hire The Qualified to encourage companies in Delaware and beyond to pledge not to use such hiring practices. Not all of the companies that have made the pledge are hiring at the moment, but it will give the rest of us information about how to spend our money in the area.
If you are involved in hiring, I suggest that you go show your commitment to fair hiring practices and get you name on the list of companies that have made the pledge.
Tags: Discrimination, The Economy, Unemployment
I wonder how many illegal immigrants are taking unemployed citizens’ jobs. I want to know that stat.
29% in agriculture
25% in construction
20% in restaurant kitchens
pre-recession estimates.
Good movement
i think that gun control should always be imposed at all times to reduce violence.”,;
More than being a ridiculously malicious practice that must not be allowed to spread or be sanctioned through practice by other companies, this is a bad business practice on so many levels. There is a staggering number of highly qualified individuals among the unemployed who fight every day to be seen and heard in competition for the limited number of positions available. Companies attempting to shortcut having to look at the resumes for these individuals do themselves a disservice. Many would be grateful to accept lower starting salaries to remain in their chosen professions, and will cost less for a company to bring on board rather than having to entice someone already employed with additional salary, bonuses, etc. With those in longer term unemployment (NPR estimates nearly 50%) having to resort to drastic underemployment and several jobs simply to maintain a home and keep food on the table, we must continue to raise awareness of this legal but harmful practice til it becomes a groundswell leading to the amendment of the Equal Employment Opportunity legislation to include the unemployed.
Has anyone contacted Castle, Kaufman and Carper about this? Adding the unemployed to the EEOC is a great idea. I would probably add something banning or highly restricting the use of credit scores in hiring as well.
I’m confused. There is a tax credit available if you hire someone who has been unemployed for at least the previous 30 days from date of hire. How is this policy beneficial to the company looking to hire? Is it strictly because they don’t want to “waste their time” sifting through resumes? I just don’t see where being previously unemployed poses a problem – espeically with the tax credit available. Are we missing something?
This is nothing but a cynical,heartless attempt to furthur drive down wages and benefits for the working people in America.Coming at a time when these same Americans BAILED OUT the quickly bottoming economy at the COST of their OWN SAVINGS,PENSIONS,ERA’S and JOBS is outrageous !
When,oh when oh lord,are the WORKING people of America going to wake up and unite around a leader who will free us from the two party system that strangles us with our own hands?
We want you BIG BROTHER !
I haven’t seen this happening in the real world. Sounds like faux outrage to me. If the job exists, the qualified unemployed will always be snapped up. If you hire somebody away from your competitor, that still creates a new job opening.
A price war for good employees is a good thing all around.
If employers want to bid up wages, that is good for everybody.
Well I will say this, having just recently been burned. We hired an “unemployed”, having just completed her retraining in another field. Part of her training was a 500 hr. internship at the program’s end. It could be unpaid, she needed the hours somewhere. Good ol’ me brought her on board, and even paid her recognizing she was a single mother, trying to get on her feet–and I applaud that–and certainly did not want to take advantage of obviously some skill and real work she was bringing to the job. Lo and behold at internship/graduation time–guess who the unemployment paperwork came to??? And I even made it full well clear to her and her school, this is not a job–an internship. Finally, after 3 different presentations of paperwork to unemployment–all was clear, as they do recognize the difference for unemployment benefits–but I can see, from another angle of why people may be sheepish to hire to hire an “unemployed”. This gal had already collected from a previous employer, before and while going to training–and now I was vulnerable to have the action moved to my account. Just another thought gang. And where’s Dom when I need her?
Dom is probably kicking some homeless kid somewhere.
JC: Being an employee rather than an employer, I’m having some trouble understanding the upshot of your post. Could you explain for the dense liberals like me?
Phil wrote, “how many illegal immigrants are taking unemployed citizens’ jobs.” You realize, I hope, that there is a broad category between the two you used in that sentence. There are hundreds of thousands (at least) legal immigrants who are not citizens.
“Dom is probably kicking some homeless kid somewhere.”
And mocking him for believing in Obama.
I doubt that–but I know she understands my attempt “to help” out of pure concern and humanity, could have turned into a financial snafu w/ seismic repercussions. In our “mom and pop” shop–one person on unemployment, jumps our risk rating up to the level of a construction site–and we have to pay that increased rate for years, until an authorized review comes out. It stinks.
Geezer – Unemployment compensation is state run insurance program. your employer pays a premium for each employee into the program. When you are laid-off or fired, you file a claim for unemployment compensation.
The premium rate that the employer pays is affected by claims history. Employers who lay-off lots people pay a higher premium.
If JC decides to be “nice” and let the false claim slide through, she will be rewarded with higher premiums.
Now geezer–I know you’re not dense. I’m just saying, that hiring someone “unemployed” may be collecting benefits under a prior employer. After an amount of time (I don’t know what it is), they come off past employer’s books, and onto yours. If the new hire doesn’t work out (again, I don’t know the amount of time), you may be picking up a new “unemployment” account, as a continuance for them. All I know, is I had to straighten it out.
Ish: Thanks. I get it now. I didn’t realize that the woman was claiming it was a job so she could get unemployment. I just misread the pronouns or something. Or maybe just general liberal denseness.
Joanne,
No good deed goes unpunished. Sorry you had to spend your valuable time getting this sorted.
Joanne: Thanks. When it comes to employment law, I certainly am dense. I have collected exactly one week in my life, and that was last year when I was on furlough, which I did only because I was told I was eligible and I’m not so dense I would turn down $330. Ended up spending about six hours waiting in lines at the office for it, which still made it the highest hourly wage I’ve ever earned.
There are grifters everywhere, employed and unemployed. I’m sorry Joanne had that problem, hopefully next time she’ll have paperwork drawn up showing this was an internship rather than a job.
We did have the paperwork prior establishing the very “verbage” of her tenure. She of course was thrilled I would pay her–she could knock off hours quicker, w/ some money coming in. However, as she told me “she was forced to do what she had to do” (i.e. file for unemployment)–I was flummoxed at the game change. I don’t know if that was hardball to get me to hire her, or what–but it certainly poisoned the water–and I just wish her well. Good worker too.
The discussion here is great, and I really appreciate the support and feedback. Would you please join our Facebook page so we can display that we have a crowd of interest behind this cause? http://www.facebook.com/hirethequalified
Geezer – Was that a Dubow furlough?
Ok geezer, way to nit pick. Is unemployed legal workers ok?
The difference between legal immigrants and undocumented immigrants is huge. It’s fearmongering to make no distinction between them at all.
I have no problem with any legal worker. I just hate seeing illegals taking work from hundreds of people in this state alone.
Joanne, you are more likely to have that problem by getting someone who is leaving another employer. They are likely to job hop, much more so than someone whose company went out of business.