As ride sharing services like those provided by companies like Uber experience tremendous growth across the country it is time to perform thorough background screening on the part-time drivers.  Just as employment screening of full-time employees helps mitigate risk and helps determine if a potential employee is qualified for a position the same kind of background screening should be performed on part-time ride sharing drivers as well.

If a worker isn’t designated as a full-time employee that doesn’t mean they don’t pose the same risks as a full-time employee.  These ride sharing drivers are entrusted with the lives of those they drive around and the safety of these passengers should be paramount.  Screening out potential ride sharing drivers that could pose a significant risk due to past behaviors is the best course of action for the overall safety of ride sharing customers.  Background screening activities including criminal background checks will help filter out certain kinds of individuals with malfeasant pasts including any past traffic violations that show a tendency of unsafe driving behaviors.  These part time workers should be vetted the same as full-time employees prior to letting them drive around customers.

Every day millions of people use mobile phones to hail a ride.  Whether at the airport or around town ride sharing (or ride-hail) has had explosive growth over the past decade.  Uber, Lyft and other related companies dominate the short drive hire industry, an industry once dominated by taxi cabs.  The millions of people that use these services have grown to trust them for their safety.

And yet controversy lingers over the hiring of ride-hail/ride-share drivers.  Seemingly on a daily basis the news on the internet is filled with stories about attacks from drivers from ride-share companies.

A recent report by CNN suggests that incidents with Uber drivers have forced the company to create a Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

From CNN.com (Jan 22, 19):

According to CNN, the memo stated that the SIU team “manages nearly 1,200 cases per week,” and noted, “Although some reports shared with the SIU are frivolous and later found to have no merit or constitute fraud, we were told that most of the cases reported have some basis of substantiation.”

In the case of violence toward women, the number of instances that have already come to light—even compared to the total number of rides, which Uber estimates at 2 billion over the past two years—is cause enough for alarm.  forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2019/01/22/report-uber-investigators-faced-trauma-and-huge-caseloads-according-to-memo/#66b70cb427bd

Working with a pre-employment background screening agency will greatly assist any company in mitigating risk and assisting in keeping people safe.

A recent report out of Massachusetts suggests a significant number of applicants to ride-hail companies failed background screening.  This is a notable step forward for an industry under continuous pressure.  Ride-share companies are beginning to understand the importance of protecting drivers and passengers alike.  eagletribune.com/news/tens-of-thousands-of-ride-hail-drivers-fail-screening/article_3a123476-98ee-5635-8222-cd2188bdec5d.html

However, reports continue to appear on-line about malfeasant acts performed by ride-share drivers.

In Madison, Wisconsin a ride-share driver has been accused of sexual assault upon a passenger in her home.  channel3000.com/news/lyft-calls-sexual-assault-allegations-against-madison-driver-deeply-disturbing-/1001602530

The examples of ride-sharing company’s challenges is an excellent reminder for other companies, large and small.  Pre-employment background screening should be an absolute must and as thorough as possible. Working with a well-qualified employment screening agency remains a best practice.  These employment screening companies can assist businesses large and small in remaining fully compliant with existing law as well as being prepared for potential new law.

Thorough background screening of many drivers would be a considerable challenge and yet remains an essential task.  The very essence of background screening is risk mitigation.  Public safety should be a primary concern for ride-sharing companies, subsequently risk mitigation would be a critical outcome, and background screening would be an integral element within that risk mitigation program.

With so many ride sharing drivers out there and continued growth in this sector now is the time to mandate professional background screening on all drivers before they are allowed to cart around passengers.  The safety of the customers must be paramount for these ride sharing companies in order to help prevent the likelihood of casualties and abuse.

To read more about why thorough background screening of ride share drivers helps protect the overall public population in the USA read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release:  Thorough Background Screening of Ride Sharing Drivers Could Better Serve the Public; opines CriminalBackgroundRecords.com

Now that school is in full swing that means time for after school activities.  These activities include sports, clubs and the arts like music and theatre.  These extracurricular activities usually involve volunteer parent assistance.  And anytime you have adults spending time with an at-risk population like children there should be a thorough background check.  Every school utilizing volunteers should take all the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their children.  Having a thorough vetting process that includes criminal history checks, reference checks and the proper verifications is essential to securing the safety of the students.

Shorter days and longer nights can only mean one thing:  Back to school.  The rites of fall have children across the country begrudgingly returning the daily cadence of public or private education.

And with the return to school many students will return to afterschool activities, such as clubs or sports, and many of these activities will require the assistance of volunteers.

A best practice for schools requiring volunteers to assist in afterschool activities is a thorough vetting process, one that includes a criminal background check.

At-risk populations, such as children or the elderly, are vulnerable to victimization. Schools using volunteers that interact with children must take steps to ensure their safety.

And the reasons are clear.

In Yadkinville, NC a school volunteer was arrested for alleged malicious behavior.

From JournalNow.com (Oct 02, 18):

A Starmount High School volunteer coach was arrested after being charged with sex offenses involving a student… journalnow.com/news/crime/volunteer-coach-at-yadkin-county-high-school-charged-with-sex/article_9f219f44-9ca9-59f3-8615-4743311e0cc6.html

Things are no different on the west coast.

From theCalifornian.com (Sep 20, 18):

In Salinas California a youth football coach faces “charges of gunning down a man in Chinatown two years ago.”  thecalifornian.com/story/news/2018/09/20/salinas-coach-murder-arrest-what-we-know-now/1362358002/

A potential conviction of murder would certainly preclude an individual from serving as a volunteer but in some areas of the country certain convictions would not lead to a failed background check or rejection from a volunteer role.

In New Hampshire…”A former Winnacunnet High School assistant football coach facing burglary charges was a convicted felon when hired by the school in 2017, but officials say the conviction would not necessarily have prevented him from working in education.”  seacoastonline.com/news/20181005/ex-whs-football-coach-had-prior-felony-convictions

The requirements and legalities of a volunteer background check can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.  A best practice is to work with a well-qualified third party background screening agency.

In some cases some parents have begun to question the policy of background screening volunteers.

From an opinion piece in the Idaho Mountain Express; mtexpress.com (Oct 11, 18):

As a mother of two children in the Blaine County School District, I have been made aware of a new practice involving parent volunteer screening.

The screening that is now required before a parent can volunteer in the classroom or with the school children involves, among other things, fingerprinting and a background check. While I appreciate that the district is making every effort to ensure our students’ safety, I can’t help but be concerned about how this practice might marginalize and discourage some parents from our valley’s already vulnerable immigrant population from volunteering.  https://www.mtexpress.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/school-district-should-revisit-volunteer-background-checks/article_3d196f6c-cc0d-11e8-a694-d333add8d6cf.html

A solid and thorough background check can work as a barrier to potential predators from working around children as a volunteer.  Despite potential pushback, a best practice remains that all volunteers should be background checked by a well-qualified third-party background screening agency.  Schools using a legally compliant and robust background screening program can thwart malfeasant individuals from gaining access to vulnerable students and give peace of mind to parents.

To read more about why all schools in the USA should mandate thorough background screening of all volunteers and why they should utilize a professional background screening company to conduct such background checks read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release: Back to School; Back to Background Screening Volunteers

The year 2016 so far has experienced many changes in the background screening industry due to new laws and regulations affecting the use of criminal background records in the employment screening process.  With new ban-the-box laws being implemented in many States and the recent legalization of recreational marijuana it is time for US employers to review their existing hiring practices and make any necessary updates in order to remain compliant with this new legal environment.  Of course, the best way to go about this process is to work with a professional background screening company which can assist greatly in creating a compliant employment screening policy and of course can supply the background reports required in making sound hiring decisions.

The use of public records, specifically consumer credit reports, is regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and is enforced principally by the US Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The use of other reports, such as criminal background records, is protected and enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the authority of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 including its various updates and expansions.  During the course of 2016 we have seen new initiatives by these entities and a better understanding shown through guidance’s and legal action against organizations demonstrating discriminatory practices in their hiring process.

Proposition 64 in California passed and now recreational marijuana use is legal.  Additionally and maybe of more importance is the affect this law will have on individuals with previous marijuana related criminal records.  The new law goes as far as releasing currently incarcerated offenders convicted of low level, non-violent marijuana related crimes and this will have an impact on employment screening polices in California and other States who also recently passed similar laws.

The Los Angeles Times paraphrases Proposition 64 neatly in the passage below:

From LATimes.com (Oct. 30, 16):

The initiative would allow Californians to possess, transport and use up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes, and would allow people to grow as many as six plants. The measure would also impose a 15% tax on retail sales of the drug.  latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-proposition-64-marijuana-legalization-qa-20161030-snap-20161029-story.html

Beyond legalizing recreational use of marijuana for adults, Proposition 64 provides for the release of criminals convicted of non-violent related crimes.

From Forbes.com (Nov. 11, 16):

“While the economic benefits of fully legalizing marijuana for adults has been clearly articulated, I believe that one of the greatest social impacts that hasn’t been publicized enough is that non-violent criminals who are in prison because of activities associated with cannabis will be released,” said Derek Peterson of Terra Tech Corp.. “Not only will this save the state taxpayer dollars, but it will allow these people a second chance to be productive members of society.”  forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2016/11/07/could-californias-marijuana-law-affect-the-entire-country/print/

Changes from Proposition 64 will be immediate and impact a great many people currently in the system as well as those awaiting trial and/or final disposition.

From the Orange County Register (OCRegister.com, Nov. 4, 16):

Since Prop. 64 would reduce penalties retroactively, anyone who’s been convicted of a marijuana-related misdemeanor or felony in California could petition to have their sentences reduced or their records expunged…And some people with pending marijuana charges could see them automatically dropped or downgraded.  ocregister.com/articles/marijuana-734244-prop-drug.html

In the end any legal action that affects existing law will immediately impact employment screening.  Employers will have to be more cautious with their use of criminal background checks as part of pre-employment background screening.  Just as Ban-the-Box legislation has caused some confusion in background screening, passage of Proposition 64, as well as similar ballot measures across the country, highlights the urgent and immediate need for all employers to work with a well-qualified third-party background screening agency in order to continually maintain compliance with law and accepted legal practice in the use of public documents used in background screening.

With all the new laws of 2016 now is the time for employers to work with professional background screening companies in order to review and most likely make updates to current employment screening policies to reflect the new legal landscape and maintain compliance.  Laws like ban-the-box and the legalization of marijuana in many States are breaking down the barriers of employment for individuals with criminal records making it easier for them to get a job and subsequently become productive members of society.  This will also take a huge burden off the judicial system and law enforcement and should save taxpayers money.  However, criminal background checks and other background reports will still remain in use for employers to gain a full understanding of prospective employees.  The difference now is that many of them cannot ask applicants right away if they have a criminal record and cannot use non-violent marijuana related crimes as crimes anymore and that will make a difference in the hiring process.

To learn more about why now is a good time for employers to review employment screening policies and how new laws like proposition 64 will effect background screening and what is considered a criminal record verse what is now being decriminalized read the recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release here.

High school and College graduations start this month and that means thousands upon thousands of new job candidates looking for employment.  With a lackluster economy and increased competition the temptation to lie on a resume is very palpable.  This means individuals willing to stretch the truth, embellish previous achievements or flat out put false information on their resumes are out there.

Almost everything on a resume can be verified through a professional background screening company offering in-depth employment background checks.  Pre-employment background screening for new hires typically include a criminal history check, license or education verification, employment verification, personal and professional reference checks and a social security number with address history trace.

A common embellishment on resumes is typically educational background.  Whether it be regarding a certain degree earned, group associations or awards received the lies go on.

From BusinessNewsWeekly.com (Apr. 21, 16) commenting on a recent Hloom.com survey of hiring managers:

The survey respondents said that lying about which college you attended is the most serious lie that job seekers can make on their résumés. Fibbing about an academic degree, foreign language fluency, college major and grade point average were also ranked among the six most serious résumé lies.

Other fabrications on a resume also include employment or work history, projects or portfolio, awards or accomplishments, promotions and College minor.

Further research also shows distinctions between “real lies” or significant lies and “white lies,” embellishments that are considered less offensive or less likely to cause considerable concern with a hiring manager.

From CheatSheet.com (Apr. 25, 16):

…the top “real” lies are mostly centered around education, work history, and accomplishments. The “white” lies, on the other hand, are harder to quantify or verify; it’s hard to make a call, or check out the paper work regarding someone’s “presentation skills,” after all.

A professional third-party background screening company has the ability to verify most items on a resume through the use of public records, phone verification, credential checks and identity verification techniques.

The temptation to lie or fabricate the truth can be very real for job candidates trying to get their dream job or the perfect job to kick start their careers.  However, being dishonest on a resume whether it be an outright lie or a stretch of the truth is not a good idea.  With modern background retrieval companies being utilized by most employers it is very difficult to get away with lies on a resume.  Not only could someone lose a great job opportunity, but they could also get branded as a dishonest person and that could hurt even more on their next attempt at gainful employment.

Many job candidates that believe telling lies on a resume won’t negatively affect them really think that their fabrications won’t ever be discovered.  These people certainly do not understand or are knowledgeable about how the employment screening industry works.  The truth is most employers utilize background screening agencies to complete background checks on new job applicants before hiring them.  These employment background checks typically include criminal background checks, education verification, previous employment verification (if applicable), personal and professional references and a social security number search with address history trace.  A combination of these types of background checks would discover the truth and almost any lie on a resume would be revealed.

Even if a job applicant does get hired because of the lies told on their resume, chances are at some point in the future the employer will find out the truth and that means immediate termination.  Then on the next job interview that individual would have to explain why they got fired from their job.  An explanation that will make it much more difficult to find another job.

No matter how you look at it being honest on a resume is a best practice.  Especially knowing that most employers utilize professional background screening companies that perform in-depth background checks using the most modern forms of record retrieval technology and verification techniques. In this day and age it is much easier to efficiently validate any job candidate’s history.  With the tools required to find the truth on nearly every aspect of a resume it is better to be safe and honest than sorry and unemployed.  Getting rejected for a job because of falsifying a resume will make it that much more difficult to find another job, as no company or organization wants to hire dishonest people.

To read more regarding why lying on a resume is a bad idea and how a thorough background check can verify the accuracy of the information put on a resume read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release:  http://www.criminalbackgroundrecords.com/news/2016-05-18-Lying-on-Resumes.html

Modern background screening utilizes information from databases and county courthouses and both are essential for landlords and employers to make well informed leasing and employment related decisions.  Although databases and court records are much more accurate and complete now than they were a decade or more ago they are still not perfect.  Databases by nature are only as useful and reliable as the data entered into them.  This requires constant quality control measures by database administrators and these efforts are essential to maintaining the integrity of the information being stored.  Likewise county courthouses must maintain accurate, complete and legible court records and must be able to retrieve them in an efficient manner.  Even now through background check database queries quite frequently records are discovered that are inaccurate, incomplete or outdated.  When the Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) or other entity that maintains such databases is notified about such a record, an investigation will begin.  If it turns out the data was in fact inaccurate, incomplete, out dated or no longer a public record the CRA or other entity must delete the record(s) from their databases.

Federal law mandates that employers running background checks on potential job applicants such as criminal background checks must notify the applicant if something derogatory is reported.  If a record is found that adversely affects the job applicant then the employer/CRA must send notification to this applicant.  They need to let them know that a background search on them returned a record found that adversely affected them.  This notification must give the applicant the opportunity to dispute the record(s) found.  The procedure for filing a dispute must be included on the notification letter and the applicant must have ample time to open a dispute.

Access to relevant information is at the core of all background screening methodologies.  Quite simply put; without access to current and accurate background records a background check would be worthless.  In the end databases and court records both electronic and physical remain important for pre-employment background screening, tenant screening and all other forms of background screening.  However, in order to have a fair and just system the consumer/applicant information must be accurate, secure and protected.

To learn more about databases and county court records and their application in the background screening arena please read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and retailers are gearing up for the holiday rush. The amount of seasonal help hired by retailers in 2008 was 325,000 people and in 2013 that number more than doubled to 786,000. Toys R Us alone announced they will hire 45,000 seasonal employees this year which more than doubles their entire work force. Now is the time for retailers to review their pre-employment screening policies and screen seasonal help the same way they would for full-time employees. Retailers should partner with a third party background screening company to get discounted volume deals and to perform the background checks on their behalf. A third party background screener can also help keep retailers current with the laws governing the use of background checks in the background screening industry particularly the proper use of criminal background checks. Seasonal workers are still representing the company or organization they are employed by and the same risks are present with part-time help as is with full time employees. Proper employment screening even for seasonal workers is a very important piece to risk mitigation and not a good place to cut corners. One bad employee (full time or seasonal) can be very costly while performing background checks is now very affordable and by far the risks of not performing a background check outweighs that of the cost of running one. To read more about seasonal background checks and why background screening of seasonal employees is important view recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release:http://www.criminalbackgroundrecords.com/news/2014-11-14-Seasonal-Hiring-and-Background-Screening.html

In the USA consumer rights are very important and this remains the same when it comes to background screening in the USA. Most specifically employment screening is where federal law makes it clear how pulling public records like criminal records on employment candidates has to work. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) outlines exactly what must occur when an employer performs criminal background checks on potential or current employees. The employer must get written permission from the candidate giving the employer the right to pull background checks on them. Also if an employer receives criminal records found or other public records found on the individual seeking employment then the company has to give the job applicant an adverse action letter along with a document with the summary of their rights under the FCRA. These safeguards are in place to protect consumers and to provide a fairer environment for job seekers. If a job seeker does not get a job because of say a criminal conviction record found on them then they have the right to know this so they can either dispute it or seek to get such criminal records expunged. To read more about this issue view recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release: http://www.criminalbackgroundrecords.com/news/2014-3-17-Consumers-Rights-with-Background-Screening.html

Yep. All part-time and seasonal employees like mall Santa’s need to be vetted prior to being in contact with at risk populations like children and the elderly. Proper background screening of volunteers and part-time help should include the same background checks as full-time employees. Thorough background screening should include criminal records checks, sex offender registry searches, social security validation with address history trace and when applicable driving history record checks. Also useful in employment screening is performing employment verifications which could find previous issues associated with dealing with at risk populations. To learn more about this subject read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release: http://www.criminalbackgroundrecords.com/news/2013-11-15-Will-the-Mall-Santa-Pass-His-Background-Check.html