Nov 12, 2025
Dr. Kemi Anazodo, assistant professor at the University of Windsor Odette School of Business in Windsor, Ont.
(THE UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR)
There is a large labour pool employers could be tapping into, says researcher Kemi Anazodo, and it may offer a solution for industries facing worker shortages.
Nearly four million Canadians live with a criminal record, many with skills and experience that could benefit the workforce.
A joint research initiative between the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business, the John Howard Society of Ontario, Saint Mary’s University and St. Francis Xavier University is working to expand fair access to employment for job seekers with records.
The project, Advancing Fair Chance Opportunities for Justice-Involved Individuals: A Strategic Intervention with Employers, is funded by the Future Skills Centre through the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program.
“When we look at the Canadian economy and labour market, one thing that comes up in discussions with employers is their apprehension towards hiring someone with a record, often influenced by industry regulations or regulatory boards,” said Dr. Anazodo, the Odette School of Business.
Anazodo is leading a team of researchers conducting studies with employers nationwide to inform fair-chance hiring education and ultimately develop practical, industry-specific recommendations for more inclusive workplaces.
“We want to get a sense of thought patterns and how employers feel about hiring people with records. We want to look into how that pans out in specific industries, especially knowing some are experiencing a labour crisis,” Anazodo explained. “This could be an opportunity for those sectors.”
The project aims to break down persistent hiring barriers in six industries: healthcare, finance, construction/trades, manufacturing, customer service and food services. Construction, she noted, is typically more accessible to people with records, whereas other industries tend to be more heavily regulated and less receptive.
“In some industries, or even in certain organizations, once they see that a person has a record, they are automatically disqualified,” Anazodo said.
“Fair chance hiring asks employers to be more intentional in their record check practices, and instead of automatically disqualifying anyone with any criminal record, provide a fair assessment of that candidate, inclusive of their record.”
It isn’t about employers lowering the bar but rather lowering the barrier, which means considering what type of records might be relevant to a particular position, if any.
It also means considering the timeframes of charges, and whether incidents from 10 or 20 years ago are relevant to the job being sought. In making these assessments, employers should also be offering job seekers the opportunity to share their stories to get context behind the static pieces of information offered on a record check.”
But many individuals never get that chance.
Background checks or company policies can take a candidate out of the running before a conversation even happens.
However, research shows that the details matter to employers and that they might be more receptive to hiring a person if they had better insight into their circumstances and whether that would relate to the job, as well as safety and trust concerns.
Anazodo said employers often want to know if the offence was repeated, how long ago it occurred and whether it could affect safety or trust in the workplace.
While Canadians overwhelmingly support the idea of fair chances and offering individuals with a criminal record the opportunity to work again, organizations hesitate based on several factors, including safety and reputation.
Leaders in organizations express concerns like “What if one of our clients finds out that our organization has hired someone or is open to hiring people with records? Are they going to think that there’s a safety concern? Are they going to think we are less credible?” Anazodo noted.
“Even people involved in the hiring process and making decisions may be concerned, thinking, ‘What if I'm the person to give someone a chance and that person does a bad job? Someone can look to me and say you should have known better.’”
Several research studies confirm that employer willingness to hire people with criminal records has shifted more positively over time.
“For those shaping policies and influencing organizational culture, I hope this study sparks some reflection,” Anazodo said. “What we’ve seen across many studies is a lack of clarity around organizational policies on this issue often leads people to avoid it altogether."
“That’s why being direct and intentional about both the policies themselves and how they’re implemented is so important.”
Anazodo noted the project isn’t aiming for a “one-size-fits-all” approach but hopes it helps employers apply fair-chance principles in ways that work for their organization.
Alongside this work, Anazodo leads a WE-SPARK Health Institute study examining the mental health and employment needs of individuals with justice involvement.
The project explores the complex dynamics people face when reintegrating into the workforce and identifies opportunities to enhance programs that support job readiness and employment services.
“I hope we influence a general sentiment of how we can make sure, whether it’s the justice-involved community, racialized communities, or based on gender identity, whatever it is, that we are being as open and as inclusive as possible to make our job opportunities truly accessible to all qualified candidates,” she said.
“I think that’s always been an issue, whether we’re talking about justice-involved individuals or other marginalized groups.”
By Lindsay Charlton
Courtesy: https://www.uwindsor.ca/news/2025-11-07/study-probes-employer-attitudes-toward-workers-criminal-records%E2%80%AF
