Government Shutdown and its Impact on HR

For the first time in 17 years, portions of the united states government are closed as the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White house were unable to reach an agreement to fund the federal government for the 2014 fiscal year.

While the affects of this government shutdown are broad and far reaching, the main cause for concern for human resource professionals should be that a number of government organizations such as; e-verify, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), have been either shutdown or severely limited.

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Hiring Concerns in Philadelphia Building Collapse

Center City, Philadelphia was faced with a tragic event Wednesday, June 5 when a building came crumbling down onto an adjacent building on 22nd and Market Streets. A total of six lives were lost and 13 people injured as rescue crews excavated bodies and survivors from the rubble.

A two-story wall of a building being demolished came down around 10:30am EST onto a neighboring Salvation Army thrift store below. The loss of life in this demolition accident is tragic, and now people are asking the questions: why and how did this happen?

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Three Drug Abuse and Detection Trends Employers Need to Know

Quest Diagnostics has recently released a new report on work-related drug testing and the associated trends. The comprehensive report details comparisons between 2011 and the first half of 2012 (January to June) and reveals some striking facts about the state of drug use in a sample of job seekers. The data they collected comes from more than 3.4 million drug tests handled in 2012. Below are the three most significant trends gleaned from the report.

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Accuracy in Employee Background Checks is Cited as Priority by NAPBS in 2013

The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) released 5 tips for conducting effective employee background checks in 2013.

The Association’s guidance is targeted to all employers that utilize employment background checks to vet employees for job opportunities. Company roles in human resources, legal compliance, risk management, finance and general management should review the full press release.

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More Nonprofits Conduct Background Checks, Criminal Hits Decrease

Over the past five years, the hit rate for criminal background checks has been on the decline as more nonprofit organizations background check their new hires. A recent study’s, data showed that from 2007 to 2011, more than 5.4 million background checks we conducted by nonprofits and 22 percent of those checks resulted in criminal hits.

Of that 22 percent (approximately 479,000), background checks revealed very serious kidnapping, murder, sex-related and drug-related offenses. While it is shocking to know that criminals who have been convicted of kidnapping or molestation could be working amongst children, elders and people in need, we know that criminals go where they know they can get in “under the radar” – organizations [they know] do not conduct background checks.

In organizations working with children, such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, background checks are a must; the study found that 1,021 of the criminal hits were registered sex offenders, 603 convictions for kidnapping and 1,176 murder offenses.

What’s more is that between 2007 and 2011, 22 percent of those criminal hits also included 91,607 drug-related offenses including possession and distribution and 10,438 sex-related offenses. These figures are certainly eye-opening, but the good news is that these were hits, and thus these individuals were barred from employment at the nonprofits where they applied to work. Additionally, the number of criminals has declined over the past five years by 7 percent, according to the study.

The drop in criminal hits is attributed by the nonprofits’ use of background screening programs. When criminals know that nonprofits are conducting background checks, they seek employment somewhere else, so it is important for nonprofits to speak with background screening providers in order to mitigate risk, protect their reputations and those they seek to help.

 

 

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You Ask, We Answer

First Contact HR staff answers common questions we get on background checks, drug testing and other HR industry practices. Got a question? Ask us at info at FirstContactHR dot com

Question #8: Should I fire an individual for having a positive drug test result?

Every company has different policies. Some find termination as the only answer for a positive drug screen, as drug use is an immediate breach of company policy. On the other hand, many companies now offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), which include drug and alcohol counseling and treatment.

For more questions and answers, visit www.FirstContactHR.com and just Ask!

 

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You Ask, We Answer

First Contact HR staff answers common questions we get on background checks, drug testing and other HR industry practices. Got a question? Ask us at info@FirstContactHR.com

Question #7: What is a Chain of Custody and why is it Important?

This is the detailed documentation of the drug screening process, which accounts for the integrity of each step of the procedure, by tracking the handling and storage of the specimen from collection to disposal.

This multi-part medical document, with assigned barcode numbers, facilitates the process and documents by whom, when and for what purpose the specimen was handled. Clinical labs will not proceed with a drug screen if they recognize the chain of custody has been broken. With a fully executed Chain of Custody, the drug screen result is completely and legally defensible.

For more questions and answers, visit www.FirstContactHR.com and just Ask!

 

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Tennessee wants to Drug Test Welfare Recipients, why not Lawmakers?

In response to a bill that would require welfare recipients in Nashville, TN to take a drug test, some lawmakers want to add politicians to the mix and submit them as well. What seems like a fair way to balance the scale could turn out to be an expensive response since drug tests (resulting in negative outcomes) are paid for by tax payers.

Those individuals with positive results (guilty of using drugs) will be held responsible for the cost of the drug test. Welfare recipients who test positive will lose their benefits.

Video by WVLT-TV:

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You Ask, We Answer

First Contact HR staff answers common questions we get on background checks, drug testing and other HR industry practices. Got a question? Ask us at info@FirstContactHR.com

Question #6: How long do drugs stay in an individual’s system?

Drugs do not typically remain in the body for very long. Often no more than 24 – 72 hours, depending on the frequency of use and the individual’s body functions. Marijuana is the exception, staying sometimes from several days to several weeks, again depending on the circumstances. However, through hair analysis, drugs are detectable up to 90 days after drug use.

For more questions and answers, visit www.FirstContactHR.com and just Ask!

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