criminal background screening

justaskin

We currently require all new employees to submit to a criminal background check which is conducted by a vendor we contract with for this service. We screen for felonies, and do not gather information on lesser charges. Our employees have access to customer information that could be used to commit identity theft. We are considering lowering our standard to include information about misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors.
Is anyone else conducting external background checks willing to share their standards?

terrima

We do the full blown backround check but mainly because we are financial institution. I would say go for it!

deniseE

We have also sort-of implemented a full background check policy. Check my prior post on flubbing up the implementation of such policy for additional info.

We too, work in a place that identity theft is a possibility. I would suggest a job-description by job-description detail of what would compromise one's ability to do the job. Someone convicted of a misdemeanor for writing bad checks may be perfectly able to work in the cafeteria, but not suitable for telephone work.

and IF you plan to review your current workforce, write a policy and implement it properly. Notify EE's and give them the opportunity to come to you.

Do you have any written guidelines for not hiring/continuing to employ? The more you have in writing the easier it will be if you're ever called to defend your decision.

Good Luck

KathiHR

And let me just say how seriously you should take the possibility of identity theft! We had someone applying for credit cards under my husband's name for about one year. Police suspect he worked in insurance billing for a surgery center where my husband had out-patient knee surgery. They narrowed it down to the department, but could never identify who the exact person was. (We did some major complaining to the management of the surgery center.) Those medical forms you fill out have everything someone needs to commit identity theft - date of birth, SS#, address, phone, etc. The police told us that giving out the total combination of all that info only occurs in a few places - namely on medical forms. So beware.

Kathi

rhr27

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-15-04 AT 06:11PM (CST)[/font][br][br]I also work for a company where employees have access to customer information. We screen for all felonies and will not hire anyone with any crimes of deception (fraud, theft, etc.) or violence, including misdemeanors.

Passion4HR

Were you able to get some information on standards? If so, would you mind sharing them with me? We have started conducting background checks and although we have policy, it lacks in specifics. Any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks,

Ginger

[email]Ginger.Ledbetter@ingramentertainment.com[/email]

Boo

We are also in the early stages of establishing a background screening policy. Any help would be appreciated.

deniseE

One of the things you can do is get in touch with your state police. It can set up an automatic system for checking backgrounds, the information is often more reliable than "3rd party" outfits...and generally cheaper.

Establish strict guidelines for how far in the past you will consider information...7 years, 5 years, forever? and stick to it...no matter how qualified the candidate is otherwise!

Make the guidelines something you can live with and reasonably enforce and defend. And make sure your ee's are aware of the policy!

Shadowfax

I think in the past these kinds of checks had to conform to the requirements of the FCRA. Just recently, on another thread, I believe someone said the FCRA had been amended to exempt these checks, but did not say where or when. Does anyone have this information?