Supporting Fair Chance Legislation
It was a pleasure to be able to add Wash Cycle Laundry’s voice to many others speaking in support of the Fair Chance Hiring legislation passed by the Philadelphia City Council. This legislation provides clearer guidelines about what employers should do when they discover convictions on a criminal background check, and clarity is good for everybody.
More importantly, as somebody who has seen this issue from the employer’s side, but also had friends and family members who have sought employment with a conviction, I know how impactful it can be to create better, clearer, fairer “rules of the road” when it comes to hiring.
What We’ve Learned from Second-Chance Hiring
At Wash Cycle Laundry, our mission is to create a launching pad into upwardly mobile careers for vulnerable adults. That includes people overcoming incarceration. We’ve seen firsthand what happens when someone gets a real shot at a job — not a favor, not charity, but genuine employment with genuine expectations and genuine opportunity for growth.
The people we hire through our mission partners are employees who bring real value and are building real careers. One hundred percent of our hourly supervisors have been promoted from within. Some of them came to us through second-chance hiring. They’re leading shifts, training new team members, and earning the trust of the hotel managers who rely on us every day.
Context Over Blanket Exclusion
Fair chance hiring legislation doesn’t ask employers to ignore background checks. It asks them to consider context — the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and whether it’s relevant to the job. That’s not a radical proposition. It’s what thoughtful employers already do. Making it the standard just levels the playing field.
For the employers who are hesitant, I understand the concern. I’ve sat with it myself. But I’ve also sat with the evidence — our turnover is roughly 50% lower than the industry average, our quality is high enough to serve luxury hotels at premium pricing, and our team is the reason we’ve built this business. The people who come to us through hiring partners aren’t a risk we’re managing. They’re a strength we’re building on.
Thank you to the councilmembers and organizations who championed this important legislation. It matters.
Learn more about our mission or contact us.