Background Checks

Let applicants respond to background-check results

08/01/2003

Issue: You can be held liable for rejecting job applicants because of inaccurate background checks.
Risk: Defamation, invasion of privacy and wrongful-discharge lawsuits …

What’s in a (college’s) name? Sometimes, not much

08/01/2003

More than 200 “diploma mills” operate online churning out phony degrees, often with very official-sounding college names. In fact, a survey by an AT&T corporate trainer revealed that HR professionals were …

Learn the legal risks of viewing school records

07/01/2003

Issue: Using school transcripts to screen applicants can lead to discrimination claims.
Risk: Without guidance, hiring managers can inadvertently use school records …

Beware legal risks of using school transcripts in hiring

06/01/2003

Worried that poor grades and lax attendance might spell an employment risk, more employers are requesting applicants’ school transcripts. Our advice: …

FCRA: How to comply with background-check rules

03/01/2003

THE LAW. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates how your company performs background checks on job applicants. Contrary to popular belief, this federal law …

References: Stick to Facts

06/01/2002

Q. An employer asked us for job verification on an employee we fired. It has a written consent form from the worker allowing the query. Can I release any and all information regarding the ex-employee’s history with us? —R.F., Colorado

Root out violent applicants by asking right questions

05/01/2002

Sept. 11 put a new kind of workplace violence on the radar screen, but the threat of verbal and physical attacks by co-workers, customers and spouses is still just as pressing …

Beware legal traps of hiring online reference checkers

12/01/2001

Since Sept. 11, security fears have sent companies scurrying to do criminal background checks on job applicants. Many companies are outsourcing this function to Web-based reference checkers. But beware: Some …

Don’t pull punches; fire when necessary

11/01/2001

The Cook County, Ill., Sheriff’s Department fired Harriet Rizzo when it discovered that she didn’t have a high school diploma as required, and she had lied about it on her job …

Scrutinize resumes; layoffs increase lying

10/01/2001

Raise your skepticism a few notches. RÃ?sumÃ? fudging is on the rise again. The so-called Liar’s Index, the percentage of applicants who falsify their educational credentials, has risen steadily …