Major US Event Staffing Company to Reform Hiring Practices Under Settlement Deal

One of the nation’s largest event staffing companies has agreed to reform its hiring practices after a California job applicant complained he was illegally rejected solely because of a prior criminal conviction, according to a recent settlement deal obtained by KQED.

Contemporary Services Corporation promised to pay an undisclosed amount in damages and take steps to comply with a state law that aims to increase job opportunities for an estimated 7 million Californians living with criminal records.

The Los Angeles-based company, which employs about 10,000 workers in the state, has staffed Super Bowls, Major League Baseball World Series, presidential inaugurations, papal visits and other major events nationwide.

“It’s a huge win for people with prior convictions to be judged not on their past, but their potential,” said Molly Lao, an attorney with the nonprofit Legal Aid at Work, who represented the claimant, identified only by the pseudonym James. “We can actually get people the second chance they deserve to work and to move on with their lives.”

The parties agreed to keep confidential the claimant’s identity and the amount CSC paid him in damages. Legal Aid at Work attorneys said they waited to announce the deal, which was signed in May, until last week to ensure the company had begun implementing relief measures.

CSC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Nationwide, formerly incarcerated people are more likely to be unemployed, which disproportionately impacts Black and Latino communities. Dozens of states have passed so-called “Ban the Box” legislation to lower barriers to employment for people with criminal records. Although these laws can slow down the hiring process, they can also open up the workforce pool for employers.

The California Fair Chance Act, which went into effect in 2018, bars most employers with five or more employees from asking about a job seeker’s criminal record before offering them a position. If a criminal record pops up during a background check, the employer must conduct an individualized assessment that considers the nature of the offence, whether it would impact the position’s duties and other factors before deciding to retract the offer.

CSC violated those requirements and instead rejected James after a background check was completed without explanation or a chance to respond, Lao said. Her client had been told he was a top candidate because of his extensive experience, she added.

Under the settlement deal, CSC agreed to stop asking applicants to self-disclose criminal convictions and revise its policies to mandate individualized assessments and notice procedures within 60 days, as well as train its hiring personnel and make other changes. The company must also provide annual reports to the California Civil Rights Department about the outcomes for job applicants with criminal histories.

“This case has changed my life,” James said in a statement. “I’m glad that others who apply to CSC won’t have to go through what I did, and that we can all start building a future.”

The state’s Civil Rights Department, which helped mediate the deal with CSC, has settled alleged violations of the Fair Chance Act with Amazon, Ikea, Kohl’s, the L.A. Dodgers and other employers in recent years.

“We remain committed to ensuring every Californian has a fair chance to make a living and give back to our communities,” Rishi Khalsa, a department spokesperson, said in an email.

As California gears up to host the Super Bowl and several FIFA World Cup matches next year, as well as the Summer Olympics in 2028, the events are expected to support thousands of jobs and funnel billions of dollars into the state. Lao said she hopes the CSC case alerts more California employers that the law bars them from automatically shutting workers out because of prior convictions.

“It’ll result in having more workers, more people willing to work hard at these events, if only they’re given the chance,” she said.