New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with online food delivery platform DoorDash for routinely rejecting delivery worker applicants with criminal histories without fair assessment, in violation of state human rights and corrections laws and the New York City Fair Chance Act.
In a one-year period, DoorDash rejected approximately 3,000 New York applicants for delivery worker roles based on their criminal history, without considering the age of the applicant when the offense was committed, the time that had elapsed since the offense or any efforts at rehabilitation, according to a news release.
DoorDash failed to provide those applicants with an explanation of their rights as required by law, instead issuing blanket rejections to all of the applicants.
Under state human rights law and corrections law, it is illegal to discriminate against job applicants because of a previous conviction. In New York City, the Fair Chance Act requires that employers assess job applicants on their merits and qualifications, and that potential criminal history cannot be taken into consideration until after a job offer is made.
DoorDash has agreed to reevaluate the hiring determinations for applicants rejected because of their criminal history, revise its hiring policies and training to ensure application reviewers are making fair and individualized decisions, and update notices provided to applicants informing them of their rights under the Fair Chance Act.
DoorDash will also pay a $75,000 penalty, which will be distributed to qualifying applicants who were rejected.
“The law is very clear on the rights that all New Yorkers, including those with criminal histories, have when it comes to pursuing job opportunities,” said Attorney General James. “DoorDash ignored New York laws, discriminated against hardworking people, and denied thousands of New Yorkers the opportunity to provide for their families without fair consideration for their individual histories. People deserve a second chance and the ability to earn a living and succeed.”
DoorDash is committed to having a robust, fair and transparent background check process that balances safety and equity, a company spokesperson said through an email statement.
“While we believe that our processes complied with New York law, we are pleased to have resolved this matter, and look forward to continuing to offer a flexible way for thousands of New Yorkers to earn," the spokesperson said.
