Background Checks

Now what? Bad former employee wants a reference

01/24/2014

Q. I received a call from an employee I recently fired, letting me know she listed me as a reference. She was terminated because of performance. Can I disclose that information to a potential employer?

Bill banning credit checks on applicants introduced in Senate

01/06/2014

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has introduced a bill that would prohibit employers from requiring job applicants to disclose their credit histories. Ten states already prohibit the practice, but chances of a nationwide ban appear slim.

Criminal checks: Should you ‘ban the box’?

01/03/2014

Retail giant Target grabbed HR headlines recently when it announced it was removing from its job applications any questions about applicants’ criminal backgrounds. Reason: Minnesota (where Target is based) passed a law that forbids private employers in the state from asking criminal background check questions on job applications. Minnesota is one of 10 states and 50+ cities to change their laws in response to a grassroots campaign called “Ban the Box.”

How do California’s new immigration laws affect documenting eligibility to work?

12/24/2013

Q. I have heard that the state’s new immigration laws restrict how we handle documenting an applicant’s right to work. Can you tell me more?

Minnesota bans the box: What it means for employers

12/23/2013

Minnesota is joining a number of other states in prohibiting employers from asking job applicants about their criminal records prior to a job interview. Here’s what you need to know about Minnesota’s new “ban the box” law.

Nurses union responds to Star Tribune story

12/23/2013

The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently ran an investigative report showing how easily Minnesota nurses can evade background check requirements and how few face discipline for serious misconduct. Now the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) has come out in favor of tougher standards.

Texas sues EEOC over background check guidelines

12/02/2013

The state of Texas filed a federal suit against the EEOC, disputing guidance that discourages employers from instituting total bans on hiring convicted felons.

Employee lied about criminal convictions on application? That’s a firing offense

11/26/2013

You may have heard that the EEOC is cracking down on employers that use criminal records in hiring. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask in the hiring process.

Target ‘bans the box’ asking about criminal backgrounds

11/19/2013

Minneapolis-based retail giant Target has agreed to remove any questions concerning job applicants’ criminal background from its applications nationwide.

Dallas firm beats EEOC in background check case

08/26/2013

Dallas-based trade show and convention management firm Freeman has beaten back an EEOC lawsuit that challenged the firm’s use of criminal background checks in hiring. The EEOC sued in 2009, claiming Freeman’s criminal background checks had a disparate impact on blacks, Hispanics and men.