3 days ago
Skipping a job interview could land you on a 'black list' under new proposal in Ohio
A new bill in Ohio would expose anyone who skips out on a job interview without providing prior notice.
The bill - introduced by Republican Reps. Brian Lorenz and Jennifer Gross - would task the state Department of Job and Family Services with creating a simple way to report applicants who do not show up for job interviews.
Lorenz told WCMH he drafted the proposal after hearing from local business owners who complained about an increase in people skipping out of job interviews.
The problem persists nationwide as 90 percent of applicants were reported missing interviews in 2021, according to a study by Business Insider.
Lorenz's new legislation seeks to protect employers as well as the state unemployment services. He argues it will simply keep people accountable.
'The bill rewards professionalism,' he said. 'If you value employers' time, this process is going to value you.
'And it just modernizes the employment process, and it holds applicants accountable and it helps employers thrive.'
But opponents say the proposal could be detrimental to job seekers and is not necessary, as the state already prohibits people from receiving unemployment benefits if they are not doing enough to get a new job - including by skipping interviews or 'ghosting' employers.
A spokesperson for the Department of Job and Family Services also noted that it already offers a way to report interview no-shows online.
'It is something that's not needed, I mean there are procedures in line already for unemployment compensation,' argued Senate Democrat Bill DeMora, who represents the city of Columbus.
He noted that he recently almost missed an appointment due to car trouble, and disagrees with penalizing Ohioans in a similar situation.
Tracking those issues are not the government's responsibility, the Democrat claimed, arguing the General Assembly should instead be prioritizing protections for workers and local governments.
'All this is going to do is make somebody less likely to actually want to get unemployment compensation,' DeMora said. 'It's just something else that penalizes people.'
Lorenz, however, has claimed he is not trying to 'black list' anyone as he argued that it is the General Assembly's responsibility to protect Ohio's businesses.
'We're not looking to black list anybody or anything like that, we're just trying to build and foster a culture of respect and accountability and stop wasting employers' valuable time.'
His proposal to give employers more information about applicants and the state more information about those who are receiving unemployment benefits will now 'modernize and update Ohio to the 21st century,' Lorenz said.
'When we do things like this, it makes our state more competitive against the other states from an economic standpoint.'
He added on social media that his system would also help catch fraud in the state unemployment system.
'If you're collecting unemployment, you should be actively looking for work. Period,' he wrote on X.
'HB 395 isn't controversial - it's common sense,' Lorenz continued. 'Wasting employers' time and taxpayer dollars helps no one. Time to bring accountability back to the system.'
Ohio ranks 44th in the country for unemployment, with roughly five percent of the population without a job, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In just the last week of July alone, nearly 50,000 residents filed for unemployment benefits.
But the Ohio State Legislature is not expected to return until October, and it is unlikely the bill would be brought for a vote before then.
