Jan 19, 2012

Pepsi's $3M, Racially-Biased Background Check

Do you refuse to hire job applicants with an arrest or criminal record? No matter how small or irrelevant the infraction is to the job?

If you do, be careful. The Equal Employment Opportunity has announced that it reached a $3.1 million settlement with PepsiCo over such a policy. Investigators concluded that the practice disproportionately affected African-Americans and other minorities.

Jan 1, 2012

EEOC:  High School Diploma Requirement May Violate Americans with Disabilities Act

Employers are facing more uncertainty in the wake of a letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warning them that requiring a high school diploma from a job applicant might violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The development also has some wondering whether the agency’s advice will result in an educational backlash by creating less of an incentive for some high school students to graduate

December 14, 2011

State of MN OK's Care Jobs for Former Criminals?

During the past six years, Minnesota has granted more than 15,000 waivers to people with criminal records seeking employment in nursing homes and other state-regulated care programs, state records show Program.  The most forgiving state agency among the two that grant waivers is the Health Department, which approved 75 percent of 10,000-plus appeals with little public scrutiny, records show.

November 22, 2011

SafeScreener.com November Newsletter:

If you missed the email version, just click here to see the November issue of Background Screening News You Can Use.  We cover an important new system feature which enables you to upload the applicant background release form.  We also bring you special guest writer Terry Cahill of  Perspectives LTD.  Terry covers several important points to help you get a return on investment from your Employee Assistance Program.

November 21, 2011

SafeScreener.com Receives an A+ Accreditation from the Better Business Bureau!

Background Screening Made Simple Blog- We're happy to say that receiving an A+ on your report card doesn't lose any luster after you've graduated! The SafeScreener.com team is very proud to have earned the highest accreditation rating available from the Better Business Bureau!

October 10, 2011

SafeScreener.com is proud to sponsor the Robert Morris University Eagles Dance Team in the Comer Kids Classic 5K

Chicago, IL - The Eagles Dance team participated in the University of Chicago Comer Kid's Classic 5K Run, Walk, and Kids’ Dash to raise money for the charity. The event raises money for research for the development and care in pediatrics. The Robert Morris Dance team raised over $2,500 for the event and were sponsored by SAFESCREENER.COM.  The Eagles also received an award for being the largest team participating in the fundraisers.

October 5, 2011
National Retail Federation Survey Finds Nearly All Retailers Rely on Background Checks to Keep Consumers, Customers Safe

Nearly all retailers (97%) utilize background screening in some form during the application, hiring and employment process, according to the survey. Additionally, companies routinely conduct pre-employment background checks on a wide range of associates from senior executives (85.7%) to store associates (55.2%), with a particular focus on customer-facing employees and managers.

September 1, 2011
Sex Offenders Paid to Baby-sit by the State of Illinois.

Cornelius Osborne may not seem like baby-sitting material.
He was convicted of raping two women. A succession of felonies, from robbery to failing to register as a sex offender, repeatedly sent him to prison, state records show.
But over more than two years, the state paid Osborne nearly $5,000 to baby-sit two children, before his latest conviction — for dealing drugs — put him back behind bars.ll.

August 09, 2011
EEOC Considers Revising it's Guidelines on for Criminal Background Checks.

Current EEOC guidelines make it clear that an absolute ban on hiring anyone with a criminal conviction is unacceptable. Instead, the guidelines call for employers to make individual assessments of ex-cons, taking into account the nature and gravity of the offense, the time passed since conviction and the job itself.   It's not always an easy call.

July 18, 2011
San Francisco may make job seekers with criminal records a protected class.

The city of San Francisco is considering enacting limitations on the use of criminal records for employment screening by making job seekers with criminal histories a protected class when looking for work. 

June 29, 2011
The Fair Credit Reporting Act and Social Media.

Employment background checks can include information from a variety of sources: credit reports, employment and salary history, criminal records, and these days, even social media. But regardless of the type of information in a report you use when making hiring decisions, the rules are the same.

June 08, 2011
Important F.C.R.A. Adverse Action Update!

A recent civil court action has prompted us to re-issue a recommended update to in regards to basic adverse action procedures.  We suggest all client require hiring managers to wait a minimum of five business days between the issuance of a Pre-Adverse Action  Notification and the issuance of the Final Adverse Action NotificationLearn more!

May 27, 2011
Arizona (I9) Immigration Law Upheld by Supreme Court..

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an Arizona law that sanctions businesses for hiring illegal workers and endorsed the states requirement that companies use the Federal E-Verify employment screening program.

May 20, 2011
Granby Police Captain Claimed to Have Volunteered with Several Youth Orginazations.

Granby Police Captain David Bourque, who is now facing a federal charge of posession of child pornography, claimed on his resume to have volunteered with several charitable organizations for children.  None of the organizations would confirm any record of Bourque as a volunteer.

April 29, 2011
No Background Screening?   Call yourself "Defendant".

Every employer has a legal duty to exercise due diligence in hiring, says attorney Lester Rosen. What If you don't do background screening? According to a recent California survey, Rosen says, employers lose 60 percent of negligent hiring cases with verdicts averaging about $3 million, and average settlements around $500,000 plus attorney fees.

April 12, 2011
9th Circuit Pre-employment "One-Strike" Drug Screening Policy Does Not Violate ADA.

A hiring policy that permanently disqualifies candidates for failing a drug test does not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act's (ADA) or California employment law's protection of rehabilitated drug addicts, according to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

March 23, 2011
F.C.R.A. Violations Result in $4.3 Million Dollar Settlement Against First Group Affiliates.

Thousands of workers and job applicants for two subsidiaries of Cincinnati-based First Group America are eligible to share in $4.3 million from the settlement of federal Fair Credit Report Act claims against the company.

The proposed settlement approved Wednesday by federal Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer in Chicago stems from a national class-action against sister companies First Transit, which employs mass-transit drivers, and First Student, which provides school bus drivers.

March 07, 2011
HHS OIG Report Finds Over 90% of Nursing Home Have Employed Criminals.

Background checks are an important part of employment screening processes required by states but a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General finds that 92% of nursing facilities have employed at least one individual with at least one criminal conviction.

Jan 19, 2011
Supremes Court Upholds NASA employee background checks.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The government in itsbackground investigations of employees can ask about their drug treatment, medical conditions or other personal information, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in a case that pitted privacy rights against national security concerns.

The high court unanimously upheld the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's background checks of scientists in California and ruled the questions do not violate the employees' constitutional privacy rights.

Dec 27, 2010
Applicant's past bankruptcy can prevent hiring.

Pennsylvania– Federal law prohibits firing a worker because he/she files for bankruptcy, but does not prohibit an employer from refusing to hire someone because of a bankruptcy in their past, the 3rd U.S. District Court of Appeals has ruled.

A unanimous three judge panel of the 3rd Circuit held that Section 525 of the Bankruptcy Code clearly distingguishes between private employers and governmental units.

Dec 14, 2010

Pilot duped AMA with fake M.D. claim.

MILWAUKEE – He seemed like Superman, able to guide jumbo jets through perilous skies and tiny tubes through blocked arteries. As a cardiologist and United Airlines captain, William Hamman taught doctors and pilots ways to keep hearts and planes from crashing.  He shared millions in grants, had university and hospital posts, and bragged of work for prestigious medical groups. An Associated Press story featured him leading a teamwork training session at an American College of Cardiology convention last spring.

But it turns out Hamman isn't a cardiologist or even a doctor.

Nov 11, 2010

Police recruits screened for digital dirt on Facebook, etc.

Law enforcement agencies are digging deep into the social media accounts of applicants, requesting that candidates sign waivers allowing investigators access to their Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter and other personal spaces.

Some agencies are demanding that applicants provide private passwords, Internet pseudonyms, text messages and e-mail logs as part of an expanding vetting process for public safety jobs.

Oct 8, 2010

Diploma Mills are Bringing a Higher Degree of Liability to Your Workforce.

Diploma mills are churning out tens of thousands of graduates each year. Their "alumni" armed with authentic looking Bachelors, Masters and Doctorates degrees technically worth no more than the paper they're printed on. Regardless, their implicit value is tested when presented to employers looking for qualified applicants possessing those actual academic credentials.

Sep 09, 2010

Metro Access Driver Accused of Assault

Samuel E. Kingston, 59, of Gaithersburg, was arrested Sunday and charged with third and fourth degree sex offenses and a second-degree assault, Metro Transit Police said. Kinston worked for Challenger Transportation, a subcontractor that provides MetroAccess service. The woman said Kinston sexually assaulted her Aug. 27.

Kingston is the fourth contract driver for MetroAccess, Metro's service for disabled people, to be charged with sexual assault this year.

Aug 10, 2010

Registered Sex Offender Found Working in Walmart

He's a registered sex offender. So how did he pass the background check at a Walmart in Westminster?
That's the question Walmart officials are trying to answer after a FOX31 News investigation found a 19-year-old who has been convicted of sexual assault on a child was working in a place packed with children.

Aug 4, 2010

Insider Cyber breaches at companies rose in '09

Employees who betray access to sensitive company information were the scourge of cybersecurity experts in 2009, "a transformational year in the trenches" of cybersecurity, according to a new report issued by Verizon Business and the U.S. Secret Service. The number of insider breaches jumped 28 percent from 2008 to comprise 49 percent of all compromises.

July 19, 2010 ( International )

Concern over workplace fraud

Jordan says internal controls are a key to stopping fraud, along with zero tolerance if a person is caught stealing and pre-employment screening.

"Criminal checks and credit checks are really, really important and the lowest cost option people can do to cut down their risk."

July 07, 2010

8 Smart Practices for Screening Job Candidates.

A recent lawsuit by a job applicant who was a registered sex offender highlights employer's needs to know how to investigate prospective employees without violating the law. Read on to learn how you can ensure that your background checks are both thorough and legal.

June 21, 2010

Workplace violence can put your company at risk.

Traditionally, the workplace has been thought of as a safe environment, the place where we often spend more time with our co-workers than our own families.

But that perception changed dramatically on a hot August day in 1986, when a postal worker in Edmund, Oklahoma walked into the post office with a mailbag containing the usual assortment of sales circulars and utility bills, right alongside three hand guns and 100 rounds of ammunition.

June 20, 2010

Employment Screening:  Here it comes, ready or not.

Washington • Mr. Hernandez is scared. A dozen years ago, as a hopeful 18-year-old, he fled his violence-ridden hometown in southern Mexico and came to the United States. A Utah resident for the past decade, he now speaks fluent English, makes a good living in the health care field, pays taxes, volunteers in his community and donates 10 percent of his income to his church.

June 15, 2010

New law strenghtens background screening for Florida caregivers.

People who care for children, the elderly and disabled in Florida will undergo stricter background screening requirements under a new law that takes effect Aug. 1. .

May 26, 2010

How much do you really know about your background screening process.

"A Killer's Lie Missed" Two days prior to this Columbus Dispatch headline a supervisor in the maintenance division of Ohio State University was shot and killed, another supervisor wounded. The suspect, a disgruntled ex-employee recently terminated from his job, then took his own life.

April 29, 2010

Pre-hire drug tests are up -- a key sign of employment growth

First-quarter financial results from New Brighton-based Medtox Scientific and two other lab companies that process pre-employment drug tests suggest there's a promising trickle of hiring in the U.S.

And reports from the trenches (medical clinics that administer the tests) suggest the same.

April 28, 2010

TransUnion battling attempts to ban employment credit checks

TransUnion, the Chicago-based credit reporting agency controlled by the powerful Pritzker family, is fighting to preserve the use of credit checks in employment screening, even as several states, including Illinois, threaten to outlaw the practice in most circumstances as discriminatory.

April 5, 2010( International)

It is estimated that a bad hire can cost 75% of an employees annual salary.   Can you really afford to get it wrong?

Six months into his employment with client ‘A' this amazing person disappeared. One day he was there and the next no one could track him down, not at home, not socially and when we took the initiative to call one of his referrals a few weeks later we couldn't track them down either. What was going on?

April 2, 2010

Background Screening Widely Practiced but still missing from corners of the workforce.

Employment screening has evolved from a simple report to a management tool used for critical decision making. What used to be a labor-intensive task performed with the help of small, regionally dispersed service providers has transformed...

Feb 15, 2010

Dangerous Caregivers Missing From Federal Database

Numerous disciplinary records appear to be missing from a federal database. Indiana, for example, didn't report hundreds of disciplinary actions in 2004 and 2005 – including the nearly 100 nurses who were indefinitely barred from caring for patients:

Jan 7, 2010

HR director may lose job after hiring 15 ex-cons

The tricky thing about background checks: You actually have to pay attention to the results you get.

That dilemma's at the heart of a controversy surrounding the police force in Washington, D.C., which may lead to the force's Human Resources director losing her job. Here's the skinny:

Dec 15, 2009

Temp Firms a Magnet for Unfit Nurses

With scant regulations and some agencies poor background screening procedures, workers can hopscotch from job to job. Sometimes putting seriously ill patients in  the hands of incompetent or impaired caregivers.

Nov 1, 2009

Cabbies unhappy about background checks

New security rules at Pensacola Naval Air Station will send some taxi drivers with criminal records looking elsewhere to seek a fare.

Sept 29, 2009

Police: McDonald's employee fondled self in front of play area.

Pablo Salgado, of the 2900 block of North Monitor Avenue, was charged with sexual exploitation of a child.

Salgado was reportedly arrested in 2003 for public indecency and was convicted for criminal sexual abuse in 1999.

Sept 24, 2009

Background Screening Hot Topic After Arrest in Yale Murder Case

The arrest of a Yale lab technician in the murder case of Yale graduate student Annie Le has provoked questions about the university's background screening policies.

Sept 21, 2009

Bill would require background checks on people who work inside other's homes

For Amy Scott and others still reeling from a 2008 assault at a north Bibb County home, It is hard to wait for the accused rapist to go to trial. Smith had been convicted of six felonies since 1986 ranging from robbery to voluntary manslaughter, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.

July 31, 2009

More girls accuse Deerfield park attendant of molesting them

Two more girls accused a park attendant who was also a registered sex offender of molesting them after taking them on a float ride in Quiet Waters Park, authorities said

July 28, 2009

Denver Nurse Accused Of Stealing Meds Lied On Application

A 7NEWS investigation has found a nurse accused of stealing medications from a Denver hospital lied on her nursing license application, and now a state lawmaker says the law should be changed.

June 22, 2009

Co-worker arrested in Jacksonville Wendy's slaying

A Jacksonville man wanted in Thursday's fatal shooting of a Wendy's co-worker was arrested early this evening at a motel off Interstate 95 north of downtown.

May 8, 2009

Convicted Felons Approved As Licensed Mortgage Brokers

You trust them with personal information and to help you buy your home. Yet, an exclusive NewsChannel5 investigation found bank robbers and identity thieves working in the mortgage business.

March 23, 2009

City to require background checks.

DANVILLE Police department concerns about the criminal records of tow truck drivers doing business with the city are prompting a more formalized agreement for tow services used by the city.

Feb 7, 2009
Background Checks should be the Standard.

Alll elected officials and those serving in appointed positions on our behalf should be required to have background checks conducted and the results made public prior to their candidacy and appointment.

Feb 5, 2009
Irvington coach who sexually assaulted girl had no background check

The basketball coach who pleaded guilty to assaulting a 7-year-old girl in Irvington never underwent a criminal background check when he volunteered to coach at the after-school program the child was attending, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

Dec 9, 2008
Venture Capitalist Charged by S.E.C. Had a Telltale Past.

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice accused William Del Biaggio , a former Silicon Valley venture capitalist, with defrauding investors of $65 million. Such crimes could have been prevented with fairly simple background checks.

Oct 2, 2008
Feds Say Washington Immigration Guards Weren't Checked.

A SEATTLE (AP) — A privately run immigration lockup in Tacoma hired security guards without required preliminary background checks and then lied about it, according to authorities.

Sept 18, 2008
IT Companies tighten employee background checks to curb terrorism.

As the grip of terrorism tightens, IT companies resort to strict security measures to secure them. Moreover, techies being noted for their involvement in all terrorism activities make the firms adopt a stern process of complete background check of their employees.

August 19, 2008
Trooper Suspected of Illegal Background Checks

The Tennessee House Majority Leader is requesting the release of names of people who might have been the subject of illegal background checks.

August 18, 2008
Reduce employee theft and boost your bottom line

Studies show annual losses from employee theft in the retail sector cost owners between $20 billion and $40 billion annually, a figure that continues to rise each year--and that as many as 30 percent of the businesses that fail in a given year are harmed by losses caused by crime from employees or outsiders.

July 25, 2008
Laws Still Not in Place to Protect Nursing Home

A 58-time sexual offender was placed in a Florida nursing home in 2002 at the order of a district court judge.  Ivy Edwards, 83, sexually assaulted a 77-year-old female resident suffering from dementia.

June 1, 2008
Background Checks:  What You need to know

With background screening now the norm, employers and employees should be aware of how checks are done and how to protect themselves. Most jobs nowadays, from cashier to a senior executive, require a background check.

May 14, 2008
Set a clear policy for alcohol and drug testing

Private employers have the right to test their employees for drug use in certain situations. Employers who wish to test employees for drugs or alcohol must devise a policy setting forth the circumstances under which applicants and employees may be tested.


May 14, 2008
Counseling Against Violence
An employee-assistance provider recently settled a lawsuit stemming from a fatal 2003 workplace shooting. In addition to enacting proper policies and procedures, HR leaders should make sure their EAPs clearly communicate and address issues of violence when workers are referred.

May 14, 2008
Don't Let a Background Check
Knock Out Your Candidacy
Forget about Big Brother. Your next prospective employer is likely to take an uncomfortably close-up look at you.
In this post-9/11 and corporate-scandal age, "employers want to know exactly who's working for them,"

April 9, 2008
Pleasantville official's arrest spurs call for new law
PLEASANTVILLE - When a city councilman was arrested on traffic warrants last week, police Capt. Frank Balles called it an embarrassment. Now, he wants the city to make sure it doesn't happen again. Balles asked City Council to pass an ordinance requiring background checks of all municipal employees.

April 9, 2008
Unit 5, any district shouldn't pass along 'bad apples'
Bloomington, IL - Former Unit 5 elementary school teacher Jon White apologized in Champaign County court before being sentenced Friday to 48 years in prison for the sexual abuse of eight children.

February 20, 2008
Assisted Living Facility Owner Convicted Sex Offender
FRUITLAND, Md. -- The WBAL TV 11 News I-Team put the assisted living industry under the microscope again two years after it began investigating the industry, and I-Team reporter Deborah Weiner says recent developments are nothing short of a shocker.

January 29, 2008
Bill requires background checks for child-care providers
Posted: 6:40 PM- The House on Friday passed a bill requiring all child-care providers to undergo background checks, and those who have felonies and certain misdemeanors would not be eligible to receive state funds.

January 4, 2008
Conducting Employee Background Checks: Navigating Current Rules
In recent years, an ever-increasing number of employers are conducting some form of background checks on job applicants and employees. In fact, in a 2004 study, the Society for Human Resource Management reported that 96 percent of human resource professionals indicated that their companies conduct some form of reference checks on prospective hires. That number nearly doubled from 51 percent less than a decade ago.

December 20, 2007
Big Ten to do background checks on refs
The Big Ten will begin annual background checks on its football and basketball officials in response to a report about the checkered legal and financial record of one of its football officials.

December 14, 2007
Hire an Illegal Worker, Lose Your Business
In the 20-plus years since starting out as a cook, Jason LeVecke has built up one of the biggest restaurant chains in Arizona. He now boasts 1,200 employees manning 57 Carl's Jr.s across the state--ten of them added this year alone. But on Jan. 1, a new law takes effect in Arizona that would severely punish businesses caught hiring illegal immigrants.

December 5, 2007
CSU implements new background check policy after employee arrest
FORT COLLINS – Colorado State University is instituting a new background check policy a day after an employee was arrested for multiple sexual assaults and burglaries.

November 28, 2007
Aviation workers soon to get more criminal checks
WASHINGTON — More than a million aviation workers — including pilots, mechanics and flight attendants — will begin undergoing more thorough background checks in January as the U.S. focuses on preventing insider terrorist attacks.

November 19, 2007
Diocese gives precedence to background checks
ROMEOVILLE—A potential predator will “think twice” before attempting to gain a paid or volunteer position that calls for him or her to work with children at parishes in the Diocese of Joliet, said Franciscan Sister Judith Davies, chancellor of the diocese, speaking about background checks that are mandatory for staff and volunteers who deal with youngsters in church or school settings.

October 18, 2007
Background Checks Intensive For Police Chief Candidates
MILWAUKEEE -- Intensive background checks will continue for the five finalists vying to become Milwaukee's next police chief, after some controversy surfaced surrounding a couple of the candidates, Mayor Tom Barrett said Thursday.

September 18, 2007
Background Checks A Must!
Do we need to conduct background checks before hiring? Selecting the wrong person can have terrible financial consequences, especially considering how expensive it is to train new employees and how litigious former workers can be concerning their terminations.

September 5, 2007
Firm Says Employee Background Checks More Important Than Ever
Mountain States Employers Council, Inc. (MSEC) announced on Wednesday that if anyone is catching the recent news, they will see that the importance of organizations conducting background checks on employees has grown.

September 1, 2007
Illinois Takes Action on Background Check Records After Virginia Tech
According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in a recent press release, Illinois is the next state to look into their current measure for background checks in behalf of the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech.

August 3, 2007
Bill aims for background checks for amusement workers
Legislation headed for the governor’s desk could give parents more peace of mind when their children head off to local carnivals or an amusement park.

July 25, 2007
Background checks in place for refs
The program, now in its second year, was disclosed Tuesday as commissioner John Swofford wrapped up the league's annual football preview meetings.

June 19, 2007
Background checks online make good business sense
Have you met a man who says he's a doctor out West? Wondering if your new business partner has a shady background? How about a job applicant who seems too good to be true?

June 15, 2007
Are You Flirting with a Felon?
Criminal background checks aren't just for Little League coaches and church volunteers any more.

May 7, 2007
Nannies … Sitters … And Your Children's Safety.
Springfield, MO —Drury University does not conduct criminal background checks on faculty before hiring, and some on campus wonder if that policy should be changed in light of recent events at Missouri State University

April 30, 2007
Sex offenders slipping through the cracks?
Springfield, MO —Drury University does not conduct criminal background checks on faculty before hiring, and some on campus wonder if that policy should be changed in light of recent events at Missouri State University.