There are a number of national resources, programs, and incentives to assist you in pursuing gainful employment as you work to comply with the Court, support yourself and your family, and lead a law-abiding, productive life in the community. Examples include:
National Organizations and Resources
Also, here is a major web portal for job search. training and assistance from USA.gov
National CareerOneStop.org (national portal for workforce development covering training, job search, soft skills, career interest, and assessment, etc)
Also, America's Service Locator at CareerOneStop.org (portal to find the nearest Workforce Services Office)
National Transitional Jobs Network
Excellent employment booklet from the Legal Action Center - Smart Solutions, Individuals with Criminal Histories...An Untapped Resource.
Jobseeker Resources (U.S. Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration)
ExOffenderReentry.com (employment barriers, interviewing, job applications, job search strategies, networking tips, on-the-job skills, etc.)
Department of Labor - Women's Bureau and Dept. of Labor Women Resources website
You can also create an account at www.usajobs.gov and use the “Saved Searches” feature to receive emails daily, weekly, or monthly on jobs that meet your search criteria. Search criteria include Location, Occupational Series, and Salary.
Veterans Reemployment portal (CareerInfoNet.org). Also, the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 made changes to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). The Act added two new categories to the existing qualified veteran targeted group and made the WOTC available to certain tax-exempt employers as a credit against the employer’s share of social security tax. The Act allows employers to claim the WOTC for veterans certified as qualified veterans and who begin work before January 1, 2013.
You can also click on the U.S. Department of VA link for information regarding the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program and employer incentives for hiring veterans, including a tax credit of up to $9,600 and a 50 percent wage match. The felony is just one characteristic of ex-offenders. Estimates indicate that approximately 10 percent of ex-offenders may be eligible for Veterans services.
Here's the new EEOC Guidance No. 915.002 (April 2012) outlining restrictions and enforcement of disparate discrimination from employment access for individuals with a criminal record.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor issued new guidelines (May 2012) for federally-funded workforce development programs throughout the United States to ensure that people with criminal records who seek employment through the programs are not unfairly and illegally shut out from consideration for jobs. The new policy covers nearly 3,000 “One-Stop Career Centers” that provide job placement, training, and referral services to unemployed and underemployed workers.
Employer Hiring Incentives for the Previously Convicted
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit incentive administered through the U.S. Department of Labor that Congress provides to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups (like ex-offenders) who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The main objective of this program is to enable the targeted employees to gradually move from economic dependency into self-sufficiency as they earn a steady income and become contributing taxpayers while participating employers are compensated by being able to reduce their federal income tax liability. WOTC joins other workforce programs that help incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to good jobs for American workers.
The WOTC benefit claimed by an employer is determined by the number of hours worked by the new employee and the employee’s WOTC target group. New employees who work at least 400 hours are eligible for a larger credit. The credit is 25% of qualified first-year wages for those employed at least 120 hours but fewer than 400 hours and 40% for those employed 400 hours or more.
Most target groups' maximum credit is $2,400. The following groups are eligible to receive higher credits:
- $2,400 for each new veteran hire receiving SNAP benefits,
- $4,800 for each newly disabled veteran employee hired within 1 year of leaving service,
- $5,600 for each new veteran hire unemployed for at least 6 months,
- $9,000 for each new long-term family assistance recipient employee hired over a two-year period, and
- $9,600 for each new disabled veteran hire unemployed for 6 months.
Federal Bonding Program
In 1966 the U.S. Department of Labor established The Federal Bonding Program to provide Fidelity Bonds that guarantee honesty for “at-risk”, hard-to-place job seekers. The bonds cover the first six months of employment. There is no cost to the job applicant or the employer. In most states, the bonds are made available through the state agency responsible for workforce matters.
The Federal Bonding Program is a partnership between the U. S. Department of Labor and The McLaughlin Company, an insurance brokerage firm, as an agent for Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America.