Employment Screening: A look back at 2014

INDUSTRY TRENDS The ban-the-box movement continued to gain traction in more cities and states, and 2014 saw Washington D.C., New Jersey and Delaware pass their own versions of state-wide ban-the-box laws. Now, more than 30 states have some type of laws to protect those with criminal backgrounds and help them to find employment without being…

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Will your state enact ban-the-box laws in 2015?

In 2014, several states and metro areas instated laws that prohibit public employers from immediately disqualifying candidates that carry a criminal record. An employee criminal history disclosure is no longer required on initial job applications in Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Delaware, all of which passed ban-the-box laws this year, as did cities in New…

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Study: College graduates undergo more background checks than executives

A new study by U.K. background-screening firm HireRight shares some scary statistics. In interviews with 140 human resources representatives, all of whom are employed by companies with more than 5,000 employees, researchers found that it is quite common for executive-level employees to undergo fewer background checks and screening processes than the typical entry-level, college graduate…

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EEOC refuses to disclose its background checking policies in court

the EEOC refused to disclose. Dollar General, in a similar suit, has also requested the policy to be made public, and the EEOC has responded likewise. The EEOC argues that its own screening policies are irrelevant to the cases it has open against BMW and Dollar General because, according to the Washington Examiner, “[the EEOC…

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Fair fear: employees not screened regularly, consistently

There’s something new to keep in mind when it comes to visiting your state and local fairs this summer and fall, and it’s not your cholesterol after consuming new iterations of unusual fried goodies. Two companies that are hired out to various fairs and carnivals in Washington and Oregon have had problems with hiring criminals…

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Illinois law bans background checks early in hiring process

Illinois is the latest state to pass legislation preventing employers from conducting background checks early on in the hiring process. Under the new law, which was signed by Governor Pat Quinn in July, private employers that have more than 15 employees may only conduct background checks after an interview has been conducted and the candidate…

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Employers and social media: Tennessee law prevents password exchange

Job applicants have long been concerned with how potential employers and social media posts may intersect. Many worry that things they posted years ago might be used against them during the job search, especially if an employer requests access to social media accounts. However, Tennessee has passed a new law that limits what an employer…

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Substitute’s background check lacked employee criminal history

After it was found that a Washington elementary school substitute teacher had threatened and hit some of his students, East Valley School District wondered how it was possible that Matthew Deryan had passed the background checks required to be a substitute teacher in the state. Deryan had a criminal history prior to being hired, though…

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Delaware gov. creates task force to review child protection laws

Gov. Jack Markell has created a task force to review Delaware’s background check laws and policies, specifically as they pertain to children and their safety when with adult volunteers and employees whose job descriptions may not require a pre-employment background screening. The “Delaware Criminal Background and Child Protection Registry Checks” task force — led by…

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