Many youth experience some type of criminal activity before turning 18 and fear applying for employment due to having a background. Here is some information to help them successfully gain employment despite having a conviction.
Schools & Park Districts: convictions for a drug offense have a 7-year waiting period before individuals are eligible to work in schools, instead of a lifetime ban on employment. Misdemeanor convictions for cannabis, prostitution or public indecency no longer bar a person from working in a school.
Health Care Licenses: a person with a forcible felony conviction is eligible to apply for a healthcare license 5 years after their conviction or 3 years after their release from the Illinois Department of Corrections, whichever is later. IDFPR has the discretion to decide whether to grant a license.
Unlicensed Health Care: the Health Care Worker Registry will focus on a person’s eligibility to work and the website will contain information on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guidelines. A conviction for misdemeanor cannabis no longer requires a health care waiver. A working group is being created to study the effectiveness of the health care waiver process, which will lead to further improvements.
