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Background Checks

Negligent Hiring

01/30/2007

HR Law 101: If you fail to do background checks on applicants for certain positions, you could make yourself vulnerable to a negligent-hiring lawsuit by any worker or customer who’s been hurt by a violent employee. You should check applicants’ backgrounds especially for positions such as day care worker, security guard and sales representative …

Pennsylvania Criminal Records History Act

01/15/2007

Under Pennsylvania law, employers can refuse to hire a job applicant based on the person’s criminal history only if the criminal record directly relates to the “applicant’s suitability” for the job …

Sample Policy: Confidentiality and Nondisclosure

01/01/2007
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Workplace violence: Georgia law opens liability beyond workers’ comp

01/01/2007

Twelve percent of all violent crimes committed in the United States occur in the workplace. And Georgia employers face unique legal challenges in their response to such violence …

6 legally vital elements in staffing-firm contracts

01/01/2007

When negotiating contracts with employee outsourcing firms, many organizations make background checks an afterthought and leave the specifics up to the agency. That’s a  big mistake …

Handle application liars consistently: Reject all or none

12/01/2006

As an employer, you can’t always wait on a background check before offering a job, so you have to rely on applicants’ oral and written statements to make the offer. But when the background check comes back to reveal that the person lied, you have the absolute right to terminate that individual for dishonesty …

Screen teleworkers before sending sensitive data home

10/01/2006

Allowing employees to work from home can be a boon for employers trying to increase productivity and keep talented employees from leaving for more flexible jobs. But this flexibility can present an increased risk of fraud, theft and legal action if you keep personal information about employees or customers on your computer network …

Latest Low-Cost Perk: Helping employees land child care

10/01/2006

With so much absenteeism linked to child care issues, more U.S. employers are offering employees access to new Web sites that help solve a common dilemma: finding a good, reliable babysitter …

Health care employers: Negligent hiring harder to prove

09/01/2006

A recent Texas Court of Appeals case is good news for employers who run health care facilities, such as mental health centers. Reason: Patients who claim that the facility negligently hired employees who subsequently assaulted the patient will have to meet the very stringent rules on the Texas Medical Liability and Insurance Improvement Act …

Employer not liable for acts by independent security staff

08/01/2006

If your organization contracts out security services, the Texas Supreme Court has just handed you a substantial victory that makes it less likely you’ll be liable if your independent-contractor security guard injures someone …