NEWS

Avoiding Discrimination in Your Form I-9 Process

Verifying a Form I-9 for employment eligibility is a standard onboarding process in every business across the United States. Virtually all employers must complete these documents with their new employees and keep them on file for potential future government audits. Many companies focus on the finer details of compliance, such as how to securely complete and store the form. However, discrimination is a considerable risk employers must confront head-on when developing this process.

Expanded Background Checks for NJ Healthcare Workers

The New Jersey Senate has approved bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer for the healthcare industry in New Jersey, implementing stricter background checks for healthcare workers. These new regulations are designed to enhance patient safety by minimizing the risks of hiring individuals with unsuitable histories. It also ensures regulatory compliance by aligning with industry standards to maintain a safe and trustworthy healthcare environment.

Ensuring Your Employees Are Eligible to Work in the US

Setting up a business as a first-time employer is equally exciting and stressful. There are many responsibilities, from registering the business to securing operational space. Eventually, you’ll be ready to hire employees to support your mission. When you reach that stage, your concern might lie primarily in finding the right person and screening them for safety. However, do you know how to confirm that your employees are eligible to work in the US?

Managing Concerns About Background Check Data Privacy

When employers plan background checks and compliance, they most often consider obligations created by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). These include stipulations for gathering consent and disclosing applicant rights. However, what methods are commonly used to handle and store the reporting documents? What about all the personal information you collect during the vetting process? Employers must consider balancing the need for a background check with data privacy.

Elder Caregiver Background Checks Illuminated With Abuse Claims

Recent arrests at the Golden Age Nursing Facility in Oklahoma have illuminated the critical issue of elder abuse. Employees at the facility were accused of exploiting patients and engaging in inappropriate behavior, leading to their arrests. This case emphasizes the necessity of adequate background checks for healthcare workers to prevent such incidents.

Background Check Consent Requirements

Background checks are valuable for employers, but understanding the legal landscape is vital. A complex set of regulations exists at local, state, and federal levels, with federal laws affecting all employers. A fundamental aspect of compliance involves obtaining applicant consent. Understanding the background check consent requirements is essential.

Cannabis Reform and the Pre-Employment Drug Test

Every year, there is an almost continuous parade of changes to marijuana laws by state. Medical programs have been established broadly across the nation. A growing number of states have embraced the legalization of adult recreational marijuana use. In some areas, what was once seen as a dangerous drug now exists on a level of social acceptance similar to alcohol. All these changes have impacted how employers use the pre-employment drug test.

School Volunteer Background Checks: A Guide for 2024

Ensuring student safety remains vital, and one way to do this is to conduct a background check for school volunteers. These checks help identify potential risks, providing a safer environment for students. Recent changes in Pasco County highlight evolving practices in this area. Specifically, schools now require volunteers to pay for their own background checks. This shift underscores the ongoing efforts to balance thorough volunteer screening with practical implementation and streamline school resources.

Challenging Unconscious Bias in Background Checks

Bias is a common human experience but has no place when hiring staff. When employers select to bring individuals on board, all applicants should have the same opportunity. However, the effect of unconscious bias in background checks and their evaluation can complicate that effort. Hiring managers could discriminate unfairly against applicants without a proactive hiring process.

How to Balance Background Checks With Data Privacy

Data is a valuable commodity. That value makes it a substantial target for bad actors—and tales of massive data breaches arrive in the headlines with startling regularity. For businesses, protecting data is a significant concern during background screening. However, employers focus primarily on controlling and protecting internal business data—what about the information you have on file about job applicants or active candidates? When it comes to a background check, data privacy also matters.

Obtaining Accurate Background Checks for Employers

Choosing the right person for the job is difficult for any employer. Astute decisions require balancing many aspects and occasionally making trade-offs. One factor you can’t trade off on, though, is safety. Pre-employment background screening helps you learn more about an individual and their potential suitability—or their level of risk. Many employers use these tools, and some even face requirements by law to do so. In doing so, these employers must understand how to access and rely upon accurate background checks.

DOT Stands Firm on Cannabis Screening Policy

Background checks are crucial for ensuring the safety and reliability of truck drivers. The Department of Transportation (DOT) mandates stringent background checks, including drug screenings, to uphold safety standards on the road. Truck drivers operate heavy machinery, often in high-stakes environments, and comprehensive background screening helps prevent accidents, allowing only qualified individuals behind the wheel.

New Privacy Laws for Background Checks in Several States

New data privacy laws in Oregon, Texas, and Florida took effect on July 1st. These laws significantly change how personal information is handled during background screening processes. Employers must now balance data privacy rights with the need for thorough background checks in their hiring practices.

Background Check Woes for the Department of Defense

The Department of Defense (DoD) ensures national security by conducting thorough background checks for security clearances. These checks are essential for vetting personnel who handle sensitive information and perform crucial defense-related tasks.

Louisiana Teaching Licenses and Background Checks Update

Teaching licenses are fundamental to ensuring that educators are qualified and capable of delivering quality education. These licenses validate the skills and knowledge of teachers, affirming their readiness to foster a productive learning environment. Equally important is the need for stringent teaching faculty background checks. These checks are vital to maintaining a safe educational environment, ensuring that individuals with potentially harmful backgrounds do not enter the classroom.

Background Check Gaps at the US Border

Thorough background checks are essential in the hiring process. They provide employers with critical information about potential employees, ensuring a safe and trustworthy workforce. Background check gaps can significantly impact businesses, increasing risks and liabilities.

What It Means to Verify a Form I-9 Online

Can you verify a Form I-9 online? The purpose of the I-9 is to provide a record of an employer’s efforts to confirm employment eligibility. Employing non-eligible individuals can invite intense regulatory scrutiny and potentially heavy fines. As part of the I-9 process, examining the documents a new hire provides is advisable. You only have to determine that they reasonably appear to be genuine. Can you go further than that?

Equipping Your Hiring Managers to Use Background Check Best Practices

Selecting people to work in your business is a considerable responsibility. Since employees may stay in your employ for years, the right team can make all the difference for small and medium-sized companies. To assemble that team, more than one person in the business might have the power to make hiring decisions. Part of that hiring process involves screening and vetting applicants. Are your hiring managers equipped with a thorough understanding of background check best practices?

Background Check Company Faces Lawsuit for FCRA Violation

A Georgia background check company is currently facing a lawsuit for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The case against Facts on Demand has brought considerable attention to the critical importance of FCRA compliance in the hiring process.

Governor’s Pardon on Cannabis Convictions in Maryland: Background Check Changes

Governor Wes Moore’s mass pardon of 175,000 cannabis convictions in Maryland aims to address the social and economic injustice caused by these criminal records.