Rubber Recycling Company finds a better way to deal with staffing shortage

The U.S. Rubber Recycling in Colton California has been grinding rubber for 25 years, so far it has never witnessed as much demand as it did during these past few months. As people starting adapting to situations at home, orders for rubber mats and gym floorings increased. Most businesses around the country have been suffering from staffing shortages but this company had other ideas. U.S. Rubber Recycling has had a long-standing history of hiring ex-convicts, this is exactly how they dealt with their staffing shortage. Felons like Thomas Urioste who are otherwise overlooked by employers rushed to apply when a position opened at US Rubber, to his amazement, he was hired almost immediately. Now after working for a prolonged period of time Urioste has an increased wage and a stable job. He says that the fact that this company trusted him is what keeps him motivated. 

Like Urioste, many felons have found a small silver lining amidst the pandemic. As employers grow desperate, they are hoping that more businesses will be opening to hiring ex-convicts. New laws also support this by ensuring that employers cannot outright ask for the criminal background of a candidate. Ex-convicts or felons form a large proportion of ignored labor pool consisting of as many as 20 million Americans, mostly men. 

Source: Los Angeles Times