Small and medium-sized business owners consider the qualifications and backgrounds of individuals before hiring them, as they aim to ensure quality work and minimize the risk of employing unqualified candidates. Therefore, understanding business owners' perceptions of hiring ex-convicts is essential to identify the factors they consider when selecting employees and to provide ex-convicts with fair opportunities to demonstrate their suitability for employment. This study aimed to assess business owners' perceptions of hiring ex-convicts by analyzing responses collectively and separately based on age, sex, educational attainment, and type of business, as well as in the areas of work competence, character, and reformation. The respondents included 100 business owners, and the study was conducted on March 11, 2023, in Bacolod City, Western Visayas, Philippines. It also sought to determine whether significant differences existed in perceptions when grouped according to the respondents’ profile variables. A descriptive-comparative research design was employed, along with the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results indicated that business owners generally had a favorable perception of hiring ex-convicts, regardless of their profile variables. However, a significant disparity was found in perceptions based on educational attainment. Consequently, the researcher strongly recommends that policymakers and local officials enact a city ordinance establishing standards for assessing the qualifications of ex-convicts, thereby allowing them to re-enter the workforce with the necessary requirements to rebuild trust and demonstrate positive character to potential employers.