Background Checks

Background checks: Close holes in your employee screens

09/01/2000

The frantic competition for workers has caused many companies to become lax about screening job candidates. That’s not smart. Liars, thieves and violent criminals …

Train all staff to head off violence

05/01/2000

While many companies train managers to identify the warning signs of violent behavior, only 24 percent offer such training to all employees, according to a recent …

Don’t ask reference things you wouldn’t ask candidate

05/01/2000

Q. I know that it’s illegal to ask applicants certain questions, like whether they are married. Are there any questions I can’t ask a previous employer or reference? —F.T., Maine

Check state law before asking about convictions

04/01/2000

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 and can that information be used as a basis for not hiring an individual? —C.H., Arizona

What not to ask job references

03/01/2000

Q. Are there any questions we cannot or should not ask a reference when screening applicants? —B.B., Louisiana

Don’t assume you can’t accommodate workers’ religious objections

01/01/2000

When a manager checked Hillel Hellinger’s references for a pharmacy job, a former supervisor told the manager that Hellinger, an Orthodox Jew, refused to sell condoms in his previous job.
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