Should the Philippines ‘Ban the Box’?

IN the last two years, a growing advocacy in the US has been calling for employers to “Ban the Box” -- eliminate the “check box” and its corresponding question on standard job application forms that asks, “Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense?”

The “Ban the Box” advocacy is not calling for employers to completely ignore that part of a potential employee’s background, only to avoid using it as part of initial screening. The rationale behind the call is that it would reduced discrimination. How? By asking about an applicant’s criminal background until later in the screening process, discrimination is reduced because at least some otherwise qualified applicants who would be bypassed simply because they had to “check the box” would have the opportunity to explain themselves in an interview and demonstrate their job readiness.