Background Screening
 
 

What You Should Know About Background Screening

 
Background screening has been invaluable for schools, health care facilities, law enforcement agencies and other organizations in helping maintain security and aiding in the hiring process. Many small employers, however, are hesitant to run a background search on prospective employees, tenants and others who will come into contact with them because they do not want to invade privacy or overstep their bounds. This is an understandable concern. You must balance your right to know with others’ right to privacy. Which is paramount, and which side is the law on?

The Federal Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) regulates background searches for employees and restricts what employers can access. Among the information typically available are:
  • Driving records and vehicle registration
  • Social security number trace to verify identity
  • Bankruptcy, liens or legal judgments
  • Credit records
  • Criminal records
  • Sex offender registry lists
  • Workers’ compensation claims
  • Employment history
  • Divorce records
  • Child support owed
Many states have different regulations within these areas. For instance, California prohibits employers from accessing arrest records for potential employees. If the arrest resulted in a conviction or is pending trial, that information may be obtained. Also, some information is acceptable if obtained in-house instead of with a consumer reporting agency. A reputable background check service will be able to help you determine what information you can legally access.

Property management companies, landlords, employers and others cannot obtain the following under most circumstances (though, as with everything, exceptions do exist):
  • Education records
  • Military records
  • Medical records
The FCRA requires that you obtain permission to run a background check. The prospective employee or tenant may refuse. However, if it is a condition of the job, the refusal is telling in and of itself.

Equipping yourself with as much information as you can is not necessarily invading someone’s privacy. The data that you receive from a consumer reporting agency is obtained legally and ethically. You are entitled to certain information under the Freedom of Information Act. A benefit of this law is that businesses, property owners and employers can take more steps to protect themselves.

Why not do it yourself then? Having the freedom of information doesn’t mean that it is easy to access or that it is accessible without the aid of a screening company. Meticulously searching databases or physical records would become a full-time job in itself. It is time-consuming and tedious. A reporting agency can easily check multiple databases to get you the answers you need quickly, efficiently and comprehensively. The fees are affordable, especially when you factor in the time, money and hassle you save by hiring the right employee or renting to the right tenant. When you need to know, make sure you have the resources that will help you. Click here to learn more about background checks.