Many people are aware that ex-offenders have a tough time gaining lawful employment at most companies in the United States. It is even more challenging when employers fail to exercise sound judgment and treat all criminal records the same whether a crime was committed long ago or recently, or review whether the conviction is related
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Employment Eligibility | First Contact HR - Part 2
January 2, 2015
Do Background Checks Contribute to Unemployment?
With the unemployment rate under constant review, one of the most important questions being asked is: “what factors are causing unemployment?” Gaining occasional attention is the notion of background checks leading to higher unemployment since they can bar applicants with a criminal record from landing a job. The reality is background checks – that are
July 29, 2014
USDA Performs Drug Tests for Recreational and Medical Marijuana, Even in States Where It’s Legal
Although the number of states that are legalizing marijuana is increasing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is sticking to their “Drug-Free Workplace” Program. In a memo to over 100,000 employees, the USDA stated that while some may be permitted by state law to use marijuana for recreational purposes, it “is not authorized under Federal law nor the Department’s
July 23, 2014
Discovery of Sex Offenders Employed in Theme Parks Sparks Need for Stronger Background Checks
Since 2006 at least 40 employees of national theme parks have been arrested for trying to elicit sex from minors, possessing child pornography, and committing other sex crimes involving children. These child predators worked at parks such as Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. While none of these cases involved the children visiting these supposedly child friendly
October 12, 2013
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
August 21, 2013
Anatomy of a Background Check
Lately, there has been quite a bit of discourse on the topic of background screening in the news. Between the EEOC suing Dollar General and BMW over their alleged discriminatory screening practices, the Philadelphia building collapse in June,and the Snowden/NSA information leaking case, there’s certainly plenty to discuss. But what exactly is a background check? The unfortunate, and potentially dangerous,
July 23, 2013
Minimize White-Collar Crime in the Workplace
White-collar crime is on track to cost the USA more than $300 billion annually, with the trend steadily growing as technology takes a prominent role in day-to-day business, according to the FBI. White-collar crime is defined as nonviolent financial crimes – commercial or consumer fraud, embezzlement, bribery, etc. Recently, Mike Levy, Chief of Computer Crimes,
June 14, 2013
Top 10 Background Check Trends for 2013
The rising popularity of background checks has given rise to new trends for vetting new hires and employees by organizations across the U.S.The growth of background checks also permeates other areas such as screening of volunteers, contractors, business partners, board members, housing tenants and even purchasers of guns. Here’s a list of the latest 10
December 2, 2012
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
October 7, 2012
State Laws Restricts Employers’ Use of Social Security Numbers
In recent years identity protection has become an increasingly big deal. Specifically, the handling of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) by companies has been reworked in a number of states in order to better safeguard their employees against identity theft. The sudden concern arose primarily due to companies putting employee’s financial information at risk for years