COVID-19 has caused some courts in the country to temporarily close or make access to some court records even for court researchers very difficult to obtain.

Despite so many layoffs positions are still available and need to be filled. Many of these positions are with at-risk populations and, subsequently, should still require a vigorous pre-employment background check conducted by a well-qualified third-party background screening agency. Even still employment screening has become challenging.

From SHRM post on April 7, 2020:

Employment background screening has been disrupted as employers adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, screenings have been put on hold because courthouses and schools are closed, blocking access to records. In addition, uncertainty about deteriorating business conditions has caused some employers to pull back on hiring. ^{shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/employment-screening-challenges-due-covid19-coronavirus.aspx}

Despite challenges, at-risk populations need to be protected. Caregivers, technicians, helpers, and related roles need to be thoroughly vetted in order to protect at-risk individuals. But, admittedly, screening can be a challenge in a lockdown environment.

Many of the workers that managed county court records have been furloughed or work remotely. And with Courts shut down in many parts of the country record maintenance becomes difficult. Modern electronic records may not be the most current and court researchers may not have access to hand pulled records.

Fortunately criminal background checks can still be performed using statewide criminal repositories for most employment screening requirements. However a back log of court record access primarily used to perform county criminal checks by court researchers still pose a big problem for some job types that require these types of background checks. As always it is best for employers in the USA to partner with a professional employment screening company to help them navigate through these uncharted times.

To read more about this subject read recent press release found at: Hiring Challenges During Times of COVID 19