Employers Running Background Checks: Top 10 Tips to Avoid Legal Trouble http://t.co/ZJp4TL9tzD pic.twitter.com/CwORa9VeEZ
— FYI Screening (@fyiscreening) February 23, 2015
Employee Screening
Summertime – What’s Hot in Background Screening News
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Here are some of the helpful articles we’ve been sharing…
7 Privacy Rights You’re Losing At Work
“The workplace is becoming ever more micro-managed at the expense of personal privacy. Here are just a few examples of how these protections we used to take for granted have been taken away in recent years.” – marketwatch.com
Background Checks For Consumer Safety (pdf)
Testimony of Lucia Bone (@SueWeaverCAUSE) before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Sue Weaver CAUSE is a nonprofit, founded in memory of Lucia Bone’s sister, Sue Weaver. Promoting background checks for consumer safety. – SueWeaverCAUSE.org
Home Depot Becomes Latest Retailer Sued for Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act
“The employment application process has become increasingly complex and a growing source of litigation for retailers and other employers. Home Depot Inc. was recently slapped with a lawsuit alleging that the behemoth retailer runs background checks on employees and job applicants without properly notifying them or providing copies of the reports before taking adverse action against them over the reports’ findings.” – fashioncounsel.com
Background Screening Report Reveals Retail Industry Trends
“The report takes an in-depth look at retailers’ background check habits including what checks are run, what positions are screened and how retailers are reacting to EEOC guidance and ban-the-box laws. Retailers were asked to rank their various reasons for performing background checks, showing that safety is their biggest concern.” – lpportal.com
1. Safer work environment
2. Hire better employees
3. Customer safety
4. Shrink reduction
5. Protect brand and image
Crime Victims, Small Businesses Blast EEOC’s Background Checks Guidance
“Small businesses contend the EEOC’s guidance on using criminal background checks is so confusing that they could still be sued by the agency even if they tried to follow it.” – bizjournals.com
Want To Read Uber’s Background Check Policy?
“The background check process for drivers working for the popular ridesharing app Uber has been in the news lately. The $17 billion startup has been plagued by accusations that safety is not enough of a priority. Uber recently announced that it would subject itself to an audit, to be carried out by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.” – uber.com
Illinois Joins Other States Restricting Employer Use Of Criminal Background Checks
“Illinois now joins increasingly numerous jurisdictions that restrict employers’ use of criminal background checks in hiring. More specifically, in restricting employers’ use of criminal history, Illinois joins Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Rhode Island, plus numerous municipalities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Seattle, Buffalo, Newark, San Francisco and Louisville.” – seyfarth.com
Meet the Online Tracking Device That is Virtually Impossible to Block
“A new, extremely persistent type of online tracking is shadowing visitors to thousands of top websites, from WhiteHouse.gov to YouPorn.com.” -propublica.org
About FYI Screening
Founded in 1994, FYI Screening provides reliable, in-depth, and compliant background checks for organizations of every size. We offer a simple but powerful web-based background screening system, backed by in-depth expertise, and great customer service. FYI Screening provides you with everything you need to create a compliant and effective background screening process for your company.
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When Was The Last Time You Cheated? – What’s Hot in Background Screening News
Welcome to another edition of “What’s hot in employee background screening news”. If you want to make smarter business decisions, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the interesting items that caught our attention last month.
When Was The Last Time You Cheated?
“Unethical behavior is increasingly studied by psychologists and management specialists. New research shows that as long as you didn’t think your cheating hurt anyone, you may have felt great.” – nytimes.com
Feel Free to Place Reasonable Background Check Conditions On Job Offers
“Good news for employers that have had to revoke conditional employment offers: Employers that discover disqualifying information after an offer has been tendered but before the candidate starts work are free to revoke the offer. That won’t result in a big jury award.” – This article provided by Business Management Daily.com
California Gives Break to Job Seekers With Criminal Past
“California, with the most state and local government employees in the U.S., won’t ask job applicants if they’ve been convicted of a crime, recognizing that a growing number of people in the workforce have criminal records.” – bloomberg.com
If You’re Looking For a Job, Be Proactive About Any Issues That May Show Up on a Background Check
“Let a potential employer know ahead of time that you’ve had some problems with your credit. Explain why they occurred and what you have done to remedy the situation. When it comes to criminal records, it may make sense to adopt a similarly proactive approach. If you volunteer your history, it could benefit your application. It’ll also let you put as positive a spin on the conviction as possible.” – detroitnews.com
New Database Shows Sex Offenders on Florida Campuses
“Florida college and university students and staff can now check a new online database to see if there are registered sex offenders on their campus.” – nbcmiami.com
Background Check News -California Imposes New Home Care Regulations
“California has become the latest state to tighten oversight of home health agencies that provide custodial care — help with bathing, dressing, toileting and other basic tasks — to older adults and people with disabilities. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act of 2013, which will require agencies to conduct background checks on workers, provide five hours of training, list aides in an online registry and obtain a license certifying their compliance with basic standards.” – nytimes.com
Why HR Should Bet on Technology
“Your hiring efforts should never be a gamble. Using new technology increases your odds of finding the top talent your company needs to thrive.” – therecruiterslounge.com
5 Rules to Guide You If You Do Background Checks on Job Candidates
“Nearly half of employers investigate job applicants online according to a recent CareerBuilder survey. Here are five tips to guide employers when investigating job applicants online.” – theemployerhandbook.com
Target Plans to Stop Asking Prospective Employees About Their Criminal Records on Job Applications
“The announcement from the country’s second-largest retailer comes just months after Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed “Ban the Box” legislation, which will next year make it illegal for the state’s employers to ask about a job applicant’s criminal history until he or she has been selected for an interview. The “Ban the Box” movement began gaining momentum last year when the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission clarified that a potential employee should not be turned down solely because of a prior conviction. Ten states and more than 50 U.S. cities have passed “Ban the Box” legislation, according to the National Employment Law Project, a low-wage worker advocacy group.” – huffingtonpost.com
Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Liar Liar Pants On Fire – What’s Hot in Background Screening News
Welcome to another edition of “What’s hot in employee background screening news”. If you want to learn more about background screening and privacy issues, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the interesting items that caught our attention last month.
Can you spot the fake reference?
Sites offering fake reference services continue to spring up. A company called the Reference Store provides fake references for professionals with questionable work histories. The founder of the business said his site fabricates professional resumes and provides credible telephone references for as little as $50.
This is a good time to review your Facebook privacy settings
Facebook has a new tool called Graph Search that lets you search for people based on their Facebook activity. The new tool searches across all of Facebook and you need to be aware of posts from family, friends, and coworkers that may contain information about you that ought to be private, especially photos and videos.
Facebook Photos Reveal Employee Dishonesty, Termination of RN on FMLA Leave
A registered nurse (RN) claimed she could walk and stand only for limited periods and required FMLA leave. Her coworkers discovered Facebook photos that told a different story.
You will be Googled
Chances are high that a recruiter or hiring manager will Google you online before offering you an interview or job. Here are five easy things you can do to manage your online reputation.
New I-9 Form Finally Released; Employers Must Use It by May 7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the release of the new I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form. All employers are required to use the new I-9 immediately to verify the identity and employment authorization eligibility of their employees.
When HR Googles A Candidate, Everyone Loses
“When HR googles a candidate, everyone loses. If you want to know who you are hiring, ask that person. Then hire a third-party background check organization to verify what you have been told. That’s called recruiting.”
12 simple steps to safer social networking
“It’s impossible to remain completely anonymous while you’re using social media—anonymity would defeat the point—but every network has a few key, commonly overlooked privacy settings that take only minutes to set up and drastically improve the security of your shared data.”
Photo Credit: ktylerconk
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Insanely Simple Employee Background Screening
I recently read Ken Segall’s new book “Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success”. Ken Segall is an advertising executive who worked closely with Steve Jobs for over 12 years at NeXT and Apple. He’s the guy who came up with the iconic iMac name and helped develop Apple’s famous “Think different” campaign.
The book takes you on an entertaining and insightful journey through Steve Jobs’ world. You understand how Jobs’ love of Simplicity made Apple one of the most successful companies in the world.
This got me thinking about my own company and how much I love Simplicity. Employee background screening is a complicated process that is getting more complicated every day. But we make it simple. Our cloud-based employee screening software is incredibly easy to use.
You log in, enter the applicant’s SSN, a few clicks to verify the information and your background check gets ordered. No more time consuming data entry and errors. We make sure you receive an accurate, compliant background check.
