Federal job applicants will not be required to divulge pretrial diversion programs on their applications after the White House withdrew proposed changes to established requirements. In other news, cannabis legalization has had little effect on drug testing for commercial drivers, and a new study shows that smartphones are the preferred job-search tool for blue-collar workers. Get all the details by clicking the headlines in today’s Weekend Roundup:
White House Kills Plan for Expanded Criminal Background Checks for Federal Jobs
The White House, after receiving bipartisan criticism, quietly has withdrawn a plan to require applicants for federal jobs to divulge whether they went through a pretrial diversion program that helped them avoid prison.
The proposed expanded criminal background checks appeared to conflict with President Trump’s support for criminal justice reform, an effort championed by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, that has become an early issue in the 2020 presidential race.
The update to hiring requirements was posted for public comment in late February by the Office of Personnel Management. The change would have required applicants who receive a conditional job offer to note on a form any participation in a diversion program. The answer could lead a hiring manager to rescind the offer.
Fleets Must Maintain Drug Testing Regimen Despite Changing Marijuana Landscape
Despite a changing landscape nationally regarding the legality of marijuana use and questions regarding employment-based drug tests, there’s little that’s changed for the trucking industry. Truck drivers must still test negative for use of marijuana during pre-employment screenings, random drug tests and post-accident tests, and fleets must maintain a drug testing program.
Those were the key takeaways from an hour-long webinar held last week by the Truckload Carriers Association, which featured attorney Adam Dolan, a partner at the firm Goldberg Segalla; Dr. Todd Simo, chief medical officer and vice president of business development for HireRight; and Deputy Chief Mark Savage of the Colorado State Patrol.
“Laws regarding marijuana have changed drastically in the last five to six years,” said Dolan, noting that only five U.S. states maintain an outright prohibition on marijuana possession and use—Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. The rest of the country has loosened marijuana laws to allow for at least limited access on a medical basis, if not broader legalization.
Blue-Collar Workers More Likely to Search for Jobs on Their Smartphones
A new study by employer review site Glassdoor holds some surprises about the candidates who most often use mobile devices to search for jobs and the kinds of positions they’re applying for.
Glassdoor surveyed 12 million U.S. job seekers from April to October 2018 to analyze their demographics and job-search and application patterns. The study provides a detailed look at who is searching for and applying to jobs from their mobile phones, what jobs they’re most attracted to, and how candidates are impacted by the ease—or difficulty—of the online job-application process.
Not unsurprisingly, the study found that the number of job seekers across all age groups using mobile devices to search for jobs continues to grow. Almost 60 percent of Glassdoor users are now looking on their phones for jobs. But other study findings are counterintuitive and can help recruiters shape mobile communication strategies.
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