Social Media And Employee Background Screening

June 17, 2010

red_hot_fire

I just read another excellent article on the red hot topic of social media and employee background screening. It’s titled “Social Networking Sites: Savvy Screening Tool or Legal Trap?” written by Christa Richer Cook, an employment law attorney with the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC.

For more information, read these related blog posts:

Do you have questions about your employee background screening program?

Our experts are here to help. Ask a background screening expert.

Photo credit: dann solo

Over 100 Employee Background Screening Resources

June 7, 2010

Our YouTube Story On Employee Background Screening

May 12, 2010

Best Employee Screening Articles For October & November 2009

December 2, 2009

In case you missed any of our employee screening articles for October and November, here’s a quick recap of our most popular:

Smart, Compliant Hiring Decisions Made Easy

FYI Screening offers a wide array of customized background screening solutions to meet any need. Human Resources and Loss Prevention Professionals in numerous industries worldwide trust FYI’s screening solutions every day to make smarter, safer and more cost effective hiring decisions.

How To Protect Your Company When Googling Job Applicants

November 12, 2009

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Earlier this week I wrote how 100% Of Companies Will Be Using Social Networks As Part Of Their Employee Screening Program By 2012.

Jon Hyman from the Ohio Employer’s Law Blog read this post and offers some advice on how employers can protect themselves when they use social networks to screen applicants.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannysullivan/ / CC BY 2.0

Kindergarten Teacher With A Criminal Record Teaches For 5 Years

November 6, 2009

Source: wsmv.com

On October 20, 2009, while on her lunch break, a Tennessee kindergarten teacher was cited for shoplifting $62 worth of wrinkle cream from Walmart.  This past summer the teacher was convicted of stealing steaks from a Kroger.  She has three DUIs and a citation for driving on a suspended license for excessive speeding tickets. She also has five aliases and she’s been teaching young children for the past five years.

As of November 5, 2009 she was still in the classroom teaching.  Watch the video.

What’s wrong here?

The state only requires a background check at the time of hire.

This is a good reminder that your organization should have a Post-Hire Screening Program in place.

A Post-Hire Screening Program (also called recurring screening) is considered a best practice for employers. It ensures a safe workplace and helps reduce the risk of a negligent retention lawsuit. Conducting checks on all new hires is essential. Keep in mind, that a lot can happen in the years after a new hire comes aboard. Companies should consider protecting themselves with periodic post-hire criminal checks and drug screening.

For more information please read:

Florida Lawmakers Pledge Changes To Their Background Screening Program

October 5, 2009

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Last week we reported about Florida’s Flawed Background Screening System and now Florida lawmakers are talking about making changes to the state system.

Laxness, Loopholes In Background Checks Of Child And Elder Care Workers

Source:  South Florida Sun Sentinel

Florida legislators pledged to overhaul state law to require that caregivers for children and the elderly undergo background checks before they begin work and to close loopholes that have let thousands of felons get jobs in day care and nursing homes.

The proposed reforms come after a Sun Sentinel investigative series last week identified disturbing flaws in the background screening system that allow people to work with Florida’s most vulnerable residents before the caregivers have been vetted.

Even people with criminal pasts can qualify for jobs as caregivers by obtaining an exemption. Thousands have sought and won official permission to work despite having records for crimes including rape, child abuse and murder, the newspaper found.

“What you have discovered is something the Legislature needs to get more serious about and get on top of immediately,” state Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, told the Sun Sentinel. A state prosecutor, Porth is drafting legislation to require pre-employment checks and put restrictions on who can get exemptions.

George Sheldon, secretary of Florida’s Department of Children & Families, called reforming the system “a legislative priority for a number of agencies.”

“It just makes sense that the public is assured that those people who are dealing with the most vulnerable have been closely screened,” Sheldon said.

As a result of the Sun Sentinel investigation, Sheldon wrote a four-page letter Thursday to state legislators outlining his plan for a “faster, more efficient system to protect our vulnerable citizens.”

Read more here.

FYI Screening offers a wide array of customized background screening solutions to meet any need. Human Resources and Loss Prevention Professionals in numerous industries worldwide trust FYI’s screening solutions every day to make smarter, safer and more cost effective hiring decisions.

Related Posts From FYI Screening:

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36703550@N00/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Best Employee Screening Articles For August & September 2009

October 1, 2009

human_resourcesIn case you missed any of our employee screening articles for August and September, here’s a quick recap of our most popular:

Smart, Compliant Hiring Decisions Made Easy

FYI Screening, Inc. is a leading provider of on-demand, easy to use employee screening solutions.

Photo credit:  net_efekt

The Pros & Cons of Googling Candidates

September 28, 2009

Kris Dunn, an outspoken HR Pro who blogs over at the hrcapitalist.com offers his take on using social media for employee screening.

Googling Candidates: The Trenches Say You Can’t Afford NOT To….

Related Posts From FYI Screening:

Florida’s Flawed Background Screening System

September 28, 2009

Is your loved one in the care of a convicted felon? A six-month investigation by the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel into Florida’s background screening system found disturbing flaws that allow those with criminal records - offenses include child abuse, assault and murder - to work in day care centers, assisted living facilities and homes for the elderly and disabled. Employees are routinely hired before background checks are made. Even when criminal offenses are discovered, caregivers can still work with little more than a promise not to break the law again. Children and defenseless adults have been harmed and exploited while in the care of people with criminal pasts, their trust betrayed by a system that fails to protect them.

Source: South Florida Sun Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel

Related Posts From FYI Screening:

Chris Miller is known for his expertise in employee screening and background investigations. His company, FYI Screening, Inc. helps employers improve the efficiency of their employee screening programs, minimize risk and hire smarter. He’s a licensed Private Investigator with over 30 years of experience in employment screening, retail loss prevention, corporate security and background investigations.  For more information call 1-800-809-2419 or visit us online at fyiscreening.com.

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