Background Checks

Employer didn’t check records before letting him check a pulse

07/01/2008

A man worked as a paramedic on the Front Range for 17 months before American Medical Response (AMR) discovered he was not a certified paramedic. AMR discovered the forgery when Teel requested a transfer from the Denver area to the Longmont Fire Department …

Negligent hiring: Take proper steps to avoid the costly pitfall

06/17/2008

In recent years, the Georgia courts have significantly expanded employers’ obligations—and therefore potential liability—in the area of negligent hiring and supervision. At the same time, employees and applicants now enjoy significantly expanded privacy rights. So it’s more important than ever for employers to pay close attention to their application, hiring and background-check policies and practices …

Expunged convictions set hidden trap for Illinois employers

06/11/2008

If you are an Illinois employer with 15 or more employees and your application asks job-seekers to detail their criminal histories, expunged criminal records pose a hidden trap for you …

Job background check must comply with Fair Credit Reporting Act

06/04/2008

The Fair Credit Reporting Act regulates how your company performs a job background check on applicants. Contrary to popular belief, this federal law doesn’t just cover credit checks. It covers any background report, such as driving records and criminal histories obtained from a “consumer reporting agency.”

‘Just the facts’ answer is key to avoiding reference trouble

05/30/2008

One of the quickest ways to get into reference trouble is to agree to provide information on a former employee and then offer up incorrect or misleading statements. Giving a favorable reference on a former employee who performed (or behaved) poorly can be extremely risky …

May we ask about criminal convictions?

05/23/2008

Q. Our employment application asks whether the candidate has been convicted of a felony. Is it legal for us to ask this? If so, can we ask what the applicant has been convicted of? Can that information be used as a basis for not hiring an individual?

The pitfalls of providing references

05/13/2008

Q. Why is it that so many companies refuse to give references for former employees? …

Background checks don’t protect anyone if they’re ignored

05/12/2008

With four—that’s right, four—teachers charged with sexual misconduct in the Hillsborough School District this school year, residents and board members are questioning the district’s screening and hiring procedures …

Background checks, employee investigations and the FCRA

05/06/2008

Employers that use third parties (referred to in the law as credit reporting agencies, or CRAs) to perform background checks and investigations need to be aware of the requirements of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) …

Responding to background checks

05/01/2008

Q. Our HR department recently received an inquiry from another employer concerning one of our former employees who was applying for a job. The inquiry contained an authorization and release signed by the employee indicating we could share the information without liability. Should we share it? …