Criminal Conviction Information Will No Longer Be Required for Job Applications
Policy to become effective Nov. 1, 2018
Effective Nov. 1, 2018, Duke University and Duke University Health System will no longer ask individuals whether they have been convicted of a crime as part of the process of applying for employment.
"While responses to the question are not currently shared with hiring managers, asking for this information in an application can lead to a misperception among applicants that the responses are used to filter out those with a criminal record from employment opportunities at Duke," said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Administration.ocs
Duke will continue to conduct background checks on criminal history, government sanctions, and driving records (when relevant) at the offer stage for finalists of staff and faculty positions who have been recommended for hire.
A criminal record does not necessarily preclude anyone from being hired at Duke. Convictions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis in which hiring officials will consider the nature and gravity of the offense, the date of conviction, and its relationship to the job.
The current Reference and Background Check policy will be updated on Nov. 1, 2018.