Tag: Background checks

Walking the line between hiring only authorized workers and violating the discrimination laws

by Elaine Young Here are two situations in which you must avoid discrimination while fulfilling your obligation to hire only authorized workers.  Situation #1 ABC Resort is a beautiful, large new resort in the Utah mountains. Some of its managers heard about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids a few years ago at other resorts […]

Save $17,000 Every Time You Run a Background Check

Have you ever thought about why companies take so long to decide which candidate to hire for a position? Well, background checks are a key part of that process, and studies show they are worth it.

New Orleans restricts use of consumer credit checks

by H. Mark Adams A new ordinance in New Orleans will prohibit contractors doing business with the city from using consumer credit background checks and consumer credit history in making new-hire and other employment decisions. The ordinance will affect new city contracts entered into on or after December 23. Employees who perform fewer than 40 […]

Fair Chance Business Pledge offers new way to evaluate applicants with criminal records

by Kaitlin L.H. Robidoux The White House is urging businesses to take the Fair Chance Business Pledge and commit to providing individuals with criminal records “a fair chance to participate in the American economy.” The idea behind the initiative is that individuals with a criminal history have trouble finding employment, and many communities are hurt […]

Broader ban-the-box law taking effect in Philly

by Brittany E. McCabe A more far-reaching version of Philadelphia’s ban-the-box law covering all employers in the city is set to take effect March 14. On December 15, 2015, Mayor Michael Nutter signed an amended version of the city’s 2011 law that limits when employers can inquire about job applicants’ criminal background. Key changes include: […]

Yes, I Have Three Degrees (Heh, Heh)

It can be hard to tell a real degree from a diploma mill degree, says expert Jason Morris. All recruiters should beware. Morris, who is president of EmployeeScreenIQ in Cleveland, Ohio, started his discussion of background checking with a review of his degrees. His résumé lists three, a Bachelor of Arts from Kent State, a […]

New laws affecting Illinois employers take effect January 1

by Steven L. Brenneman Illinois employers need to be aware of a few new laws taking effect January 1. Ban the box One of the new laws, the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, prohibits most private-sector employers and employment agencies with 15 or more employees from asking applicants about their criminal histories and conducting […]

Rochester ban-the-box law to take effect November 18

by Edward O. Sweeney Rochester, New York, will become the latest city to restrict employers’ ability to ask applicants about their criminal history when its ban-the-box ordinance takes effect November 18. Since many employers are hesitant to hire applicants with criminal histories, states and cities have begun passing laws that restrict employers from including a […]

New Jersey joins states with ‘ban the box’ laws

by Jeffrey A. Gruen New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed the state’s “ban the box” legislation, meaning that most employers will be prohibited from asking applicants about their criminal histories until the conclusion of the first job interview. The legislature passed the Opportunity to Compete Act in June, and Christie signed it on August […]

San Francisco ‘ban the box’ ordinance starts August 13

by Andrew J. Sommer and Alka Ramchandani San Francisco’s new “ban the box” law, titled the Fair Chance Ordinance, will limit the timing and scope of inquiries into an applicant’s or employee’s criminal history when it takes effect August 13. In addition to banning inquiries into criminal history on job applications, the ordinance also places […]