Most companies, organizations and people understand the need for background screening including criminal background checks for tenant and employment screening purposes.  However an often overlooked area is contractor screening, most importantly in-home contractor screening.  Recent news shows the need for thorough background screening on in-home contractors.  Recently a couple hired a moving company in New Brunswick that advertised they have a policy that they run background checks on their employees.  However they ended up hiring someone with a criminal record to help do the job.  The result was theft as the couple noticed some of their best jewelry missing.

This incident and many more highlight the need to properly background check contractors especially in-home contractors that may have unsupervised access to the home.  Theft can be a big issue but there are other possibilities far worse that could endanger family members in the home while the contractor is there.  One of them is sexual assault which also emphasizes the need for a national sex offender search as part of the vetting process.  A 50-State sex offender registry search is normally included as part of a criminal background check.

A third party background screening company can assist in this process by providing background reports like criminal background reports on any contractor being given access to the home.  Additionally it is a wise move to first find out if the contractor is properly licensed before letting them in the home which if they are takes away some of the risk.  A license is critical because it helps protect both parties if something goes wrong in the process.

It is now clear that the safest practice/policy for ensuring any contractor entering the home is not a threat is to first fully vet and background check the contractor.  This procedure is one of the most important steps a person, family or entity can take in order to protect person, family, organization and property/possessions.

To read more about this subject read recent press release found here.

As more and more caregivers are needed to care for the aging population and for childcare it is important to the US society to help protect these at-risk populations.  It is becoming more common for families to hire home health care providers into the homes of the families elder members.  It should also be common for these caregivers to undergo a thorough background screening before having unsupervised time with the elderly.  This vetting process should include a criminal background check, sex offender search and social security validation with address history trace.  Additionally it is very beneficial to also check references regarding the caregiver’s reputation and experience in the field.

At birth most children are born into a welcoming family and the responsibility of protecting and raising this young person falls on the parents and perhaps other relatives.  However, in many cases and in many US families this responsibility is also shared with other non-family individuals such as baby sitters, coaches, tutors, instructors, nursery school teachers, volunteers and more.  As the care of a child is shared it is important to perform background checks on such individuals before entrusting them with a child.  In many cases a parent can ask the school or caregiver company if they thoroughly vetted the volunteer or employee before handing over their child.  Childcare and/or caregiver background checks, eldercare background checks and volunteer background checks are becoming a big part of the overall effort to protect at-risk populations.

It is incumbent on US Society to collectively protect at-risk populations like children and the elderly even if no one in your family has members under the care of third parties like home healthcare and child day care.  It benefits the whole society to protect the most at-risk portion of our society.  Also most people will someday become the elderly so helping the older members of our country now will help set a trend where the citizens take care of their most vulnerable and then the next generation will take care of them.

To read more about this subject read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

On October 1st, 2015 Oregon became the third State to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.  Colorado and Washington already enacted this legislation.  This is a big step in decriminalizing marijuana usage and possession.  This legalization will cause companies to re-examine their drug screening policies.  Most companies that use drug testing will continue to do so and the question will become what acceptable level of drug use will be allowed.  Testing for recent or substantial use will certainly be a factor in how a drug test result would affect a current or potential employee’s employment.

The legalization of recreational marijuana is a big step from the already legalization of medical marijuana.  This new law will certainly cause confusion with hiring managers (human resources) and companies with already existing drug policies.  This means that employment screening policies will need to be revisited and most likely revised.

It is important to note that the California Supreme Court has ruled that the State’s medical marijuana law applies only to criminal prosecution, not to the workplace.  Currently it is still up to the employer to decide the rules of employment within their company as long as these rules do not break any laws and are consistently enforced.  Further complicating hiring practices is the spread of ban-the-box legislation and the enforcement of discriminatory practices by the EEOC.  Recent movements to reduce or eliminate discrimination in the hiring process has been substantial and many States now have to remove the “do you have a criminal record” question from the job application form.

Despite the huge changes in the USA taken place to reduce discrimination in the hiring process and during employment, it is a fact that many criminal convictions occur or are directly caused by the use of drugs including marijuana and companies have a right to protect their employees and provide them with a safe place to work.  This means that companies should still utilize third party background screening companies to perform criminal background checks and other background checks as part of their employment screening process.  In the end the legalization of marijuana will make companies within the States were its use and possession is legal change their employment screening policies and drug screening policies.

To read more about this subject read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

Four Uber taxi cab drivers in Los Angeles, CA were found to have serious criminal histories.  These drivers were cited by LA International Airport Police and during this investigation the drivers were found to have serious enough criminal records that could have barred them from working for traditional taxi cab companies.  The offenses ranged from child exploitation, identity theft, manslaughter and driving under the influence.  Each of these offenses would make the drivers ineligible for a city of Los Angeles taxi permit.  This discovery highlights the need for employers including taxi cab companies to use a professional third-party background screening company to perform thorough criminal background checks on potential new hires.

Most employers (69%) report that they conduct criminal background checks on all their job applicants mainly to reduce legal liability for negligent hiring and about half for ensuring a safe work environment for employees.

There are currently many different kinds of background checks available to employers in the USA.  However, it is a best practice to use a professional employment screening company to perform the necessary background checks required to thoroughly vet a new job candidate.  With access to court records, public records and criminal record data a third-party background screening company can make sure the employer is getting all the information they need to make a well informed hiring decision.

To read more about this subject read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

With more US States legalizing the use of medical marijuana while still illegal under Federal law is causing issues in the work place primarily when it comes to employment screening and determining what applicants to hire. Medical marijuana is now legal in many States and the recreational use of marijuana is also legal under State law for States like Colorado and Washington. However, even in Colorado where the medical and recreational use of marijuana is legal, it doesn’t mean that smokers can’t get fired due to marijuana use.

According to the NY Times on June 16th 2015 a Colorado man lost his court case of an alleged unlawful dismissal due to marijuana use during non-work hours. A random drug test led to his forfeiture of employment. Even in the USA’s most marijuana friendly State it is still up to the employer to determine what employment related policies they maintain for all their employees. Of course employers still need to comply with Local, State and Federal laws concerning the hiring, firing, reassigning and promoting of employees. Currently if an employer has company policy in effect of random drug testing for substances like those contained in marijuana then they can fire the employee for breaching this rule.

Companies in the USA need to understand the legalities regarding marijuana use and need to create employment screening policies that make it clear to current and potential employees the consequences of breaking that policy. Employers need to be aware of laws regarding employment and marijuana use as trends like Ban-The-Box spreads across the Country and with the EEOC on the offensive pushing disparate impact. Also employers need to understand when in the hiring process they can perform criminal background checks if Ban-The-Box laws apply in the State they are in then they cannot have a check box on their job application form asking if the applicant has a criminal record. Typically they can only perform criminal background checks after an initial offer is made. With all this going on now is the time to make sure that employment screening and employment related policies are up to date and compliant with relevant law. To read more about this subject read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

Protecting children and other at-risk populations like the disabled is very important for the wellbeing of society. With many youth organizations starting up for the summer including league sports it is critical that volunteers undergo a criminal background check including a national sex offender search. Any adult with supervision over children need to be properly vetted to insure the safety of children and other at-risk populations. A simple criminal background check going back at least 7 years would give parents peace of mind knowing that their child is in good hands when they drop them off at practice or some other place that utilizes volunteer help. A new law in Florida increases the protection for children by expanding their background check requirements for both contractors and volunteers. The new State law intended to protect children from sexual abuse in response to the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State University, states that any employee or volunteer having routine interaction with children are required to obtain extensive background checks every three years.

Volunteer background checks are not just for summer organizations like league sports it is for year round vetting of any volunteer with routine interaction with children. Thorough volunteer screening should include criminal background checks, sex offender registry searches and depending on the role perhaps reference checks and a driving record search. In the end proper volunteer background screening helps mitigate risk and this leads to safer environments for children and other at-risk populations. To read more about this subject read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

Many businesses including amusement parks, hotels and restaurants are already starting to gear up for the summer season. In the past the summer season would typically begin around Memorial Day but to take advantage of overseas travelers and for other reasons the summer season can start as early as Easter or spring break.

Huge amounts of part time help will be required at places like Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom who alone will be hiring 2,500 positions for the summer 2015 season. With this enormous uptick of employment it is critical that companies take the time to thoroughly vet their seasonal workers. According to Global Retail Theft Barometer 2013 -2014 total shrinkage among retailers in North America was $42 billion. Performing professional background checks on seasonal hires can help reduce theft at retailers. At a minimum, businesses looking to hire part time or seasonal help should perform a criminal background check, social security number trace and sex offender registry search. If they want to reduce their risk even further they can perform an employment verification check and also conduct some personal and professional references. Currently the cost to perform employment background checks is far lower than that of the cost of a bad employee.

Temporary job positions are often filled by high school and college students who may not have worked anywhere else before. For these candidates it doesn’t make sense to spend money on background checks like previous employment verification. However, performing criminal background checks and a social security validation can greatly help paint a picture of the job candidate and also contribute to risk mitigation. To read more about this subject read the recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.