Background Checks

Background checks 2.0: What HR professionals need to know now

06/20/2013

When an employer conducts a background search on an applicant entirely in-house using only the employer’s staff, background check laws generally don’t apply. However, when an employer pays an outside entity to screen applicants, it must obey background check laws, including the FCRA and applicable state laws.

Hire with care as economy recovers

06/20/2013

Chances are, your organization is hiring more employees than it has in years. But going on a relative hiring binge is not without challenges. Consider these trends and insights from hiring managers.

6 elements staffing firm contracts must include

06/03/2013

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.

Minnesota Senate approves bill banning conviction questions

05/09/2013

The Minnesota Senate has approved a measure that would prohibit most private employers from asking job applicants about past criminal convictions until they have been interviewed or made a conditional job offer.

Rights groups take aim at Target over criminal records

04/11/2013

The NAACP and the advocacy group Take Action Minnesota have accused retail giant Target of unfair hiring practices, alleging that the chain unnecessarily rejects job applicants based on their criminal records.

Study spots patterns in New York discrimination litigation

03/05/2013

Employers continue to prevail in most New York discrimination cases, but litigation is taking longer. Those are among the key findings of Bond, Schoeneck & King’s recently published 2012 Study of Employment Discrimination Litigation in the Northern and Western Districts of New York.

OFCCP: Background checks only if job-related, necessary

03/05/2013

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has issued new guidance about how and when federal contractors may use a job applicant’s criminal background in the hiring process.

Reference checks: How to coax information from past employers

02/13/2013

Due to fear of lawsuits, many former employers are reluctant to assist you with employment references. If you are fortunate enough to be able to ask questions of an applicant’s former employer, don’t squander the opportunity. Use these tricks for getting valuable information.

Background checks: How safe is too safe?

01/11/2013

Q. We are considering instituting a criminal background check policy for all employee positions. We’ve heard scary stories of lawsuits regarding negligent hiring, and we’d really like to avoid that sort of litigation, not to mention the negative media attention. Is there any downside to having an “across the board” criminal background check policy?

Conduct background checks? Use new FCRA form

12/31/2012

Starting Jan. 13, 2013, employers that obtain background checks from consumer reporting agencies must give applicants and employees a new, updated version of the Summary of Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act form.