Second Chance Business Coalition Adds Five New Members

CEOs, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice and Community Leaders Discuss Best Practices and Models for Local Second Chance Partnerships

Washington, DC, August 4, 2021 – The Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC) today announced that five major employers have joined the nationwide effort to create economic opportunity for the approximately 78 million Americans with criminal records. Allstate, Aon, LKQ Corporation, Lowe’s and Micron Technology are new members of the SCBC, launched in April, bringing total membership to 35 large companies committed to expanding second chance employment and advancement practices.

Today’s announcement came during a second chance employment event in Chicago, where a group of SCBC member company CEOs met with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Ambassador Susan E. Rice to discuss best practices for advancing second chance employment programs and developing local partnerships in the Chicagoland area and other communities across the country. The CEOs included JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger and Allstate CEO and President Thomas J. Wilson. Dimon co-chairs the SCBC along with Craig Arnold, Chairman and CEO of Eaton.

During the event, the CEOs received a briefing from Chicago-based community organizations, including Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Safer Foundation, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future and Cara Collective, which support justice-involved individuals and partner with SCBC member companies to identify qualified candidates for open roles.

“Policy and business leaders must work together to lift barriers to employment for people with criminal backgrounds. It’s not only good for the economy – it’s also the right thing to do for people who are seeking a second chance in life, for their families and for their communities,” said Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co. “We are excited to work with Mayor Lightfoot and welcome new companies to the Second Chance Business Coalition to help those who have paid their dues and are ready for new opportunities in the workforce.”

“Inclusion is one of our core values, and McDonald’s is deeply committed to creating opportunity for everyone – this work is an important step forward in that commitment. I am grateful for the chance to share stories from across our franchisee community of their experiences creating fresh starts for individuals reentering the workforce. There is still more work to do, but I am encouraged by the conversation and commitment today from other Chicago-area companies to advance the goals of the Second Chance Business Coalition,” said Joe Erlinger, President, McDonald’s USA.

“This initiative to increase economic opportunities for a greater number of individuals aligns with Aon’s goal to build a resilient and sustainable workforce focused on the future,” said Aon CEO Greg Case. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to fostering inclusion and diversity in the workplace, but through this collaboration, we will continue to create new opportunities for talented individuals.”

Recent research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – an SCBC founding partner – has reinforced the benefits of second chance employment. According to SHRM findings, 85 percent of human resource professionals and 81 percent of business leaders report that individuals with criminal records perform the same as or better than employees without criminal records. Given current high unemployment levels, leveraging this talent pool can be a critical lever to economic growth and community stability.

The SCBC promotes the benefits of second chance employment and provides major employers with a set of tools, relationships and expertise to allow them to successfully hire and provide career advancement and greater economic opportunities to people with criminal records. The full membership now includes Accenture, Allstate, Aon, AT&T, Bank of America, Best Buy, Cisco, CVS Health, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Eaton, Gap Inc., General Motors, The Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Koch Industries, Kroger, LKQ Corporation, Lowe’s, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Micron Technology, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Prudential Financial, Inc., Schnitzer Steel Industries, Target, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Union Pacific, Verizon Communications, Virgin, Visa, Vistra Corp., Walgreens Boots Alliance and Walmart.

Interested large employers can review the business case for second chance employment and contact the coalition for more information. To learn more about the work of the coalition, visit us at www.secondchancebusinesscoalition.org.

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The Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC) is a cross-sector coalition of large, private-sector firms committed to expanding second chance hiring and advancement practices within their companies. Leveraging the support and expertise of its five partner organizations – Business Roundtable, the Society for Human Resource Management, Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, Stand Together and the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Pivot Program – coalition member companies will be equipped with best practices, technical assistance and support to increase the number of people with criminal records they hire and put them on a path to greater upward mobility. Learn more at www.secondchancebusinesscoalition.org.