ban the box, FCRA

Illinois Adds New Restrictions for Employers Using Criminal Background Checks

Illinois recently updated its Human Rights Act to include restrictions for the use of criminal background checks in hiri...

FBI background checks

Background Screening Waived for Staff at Migrant Facilities

The Biden administration has come under fire for waiving FBI background checks at emergency migrant facilities near the ...

What Does a Background Check Show? (2021 Update)

What does a background check show? The answer is complex due to the broad number of factors that different records searc...

child care background checks, home care

Child Care, Foster Care, and Background Checks to Protect Minors

Which background checks are required for adoption or foster care? We take a closer look at background screening for chil...

dating apps

Background Screening for Dating Goes Mainstream: Tinder Adds Background Checks

Match Group, the company that owns Tinder and several other dating apps, recently announced that it would be rolling out...

health care

Should COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics Waive Background Screening Requirements for Healthcare Workers?

As COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available, vaccination clinics and other mass vaccine sites face challenges in ...

child care background checks

Child Care, Foster Care, and Background Checks to Protect Minors

Which background checks are required for adoption or foster care? We take a closer look at background screening for chil...

cost of background check

How much does a background check cost?

Usually, when someone asks about this cost, they are referring to the cost of the most common type of pre-employment inv...

caregivers

Background Checks for Home Caregivers

Elder abuse is both prevalent and frequently overlooked. Thorough employee background screening of home care professiona...

FCRA violations, FCRA

FCRA Compliance Requirements for Employers Running Background Checks

FCRA Compliance Requirements for Employers Running Background Checks

pass background checks

Here's What Employers Look for When They Run a Background Check

When it comes to the pre-employment vetting processes, every employer will approach things differently, depending on the...

fair chance, ban the box, my clear start

An Update on Clean Slate Legislation

More states and jurisdictions are taking steps to increase the accessibility of expungement and criminal record sealing....

volunteer background checks

Fast-Tracking Volunteer Background Checks

Volunteer background checks are critical to every volunteer-driven effort and organization. At backgroundchecks.com, we ...

credit check, FCRA

A Legal Update on Background Screening Laws in Philadelphia and Illinois

Legislative changes in Philadelphia and Illinois will affect how employers in these jurisdictions use background checks ...

background checks for tenants, tenant screening

An Update on Fair Chance Housing Ordinances and Tenant Background Checks

Landlords in 2021 must navigate significant regulatory upheaval in tenant background checks and federal housing vouchers...

volunteer background checks

Boy Scouts: Why Background Checks Matter

As Boy Scouts of America faces bankruptcy, dissolution, and sexual abuse allegations from 95,000 former members, the org...

tenant screening

Best Practices for Tenant Screening

Tenant background screening is a fraught category of background checks due to ethical questions and new policies. Parts ...

drug tests, drug testing policy

Workplace Drug Testing: What You Need to Know

Is your organization considering a drug screening protocol in the workplace? Here’s what you need to know about pre-empl...

fair chance act, background screening

New York City Expands Fair Chance Employment Ordinance

A new amendment to New York City’s Fair Chance Act significantly expands ban the box legislation. The changes will affec...

social security number, FCRA

The importance of identifying information in background checks.

Name-based background checks are a vital tool for businesses hiring new employees, but they come with caveats. Learn abo...

artificial intelligence

Avoiding Data Bias When Hiring

Using AI in hiring can help bring new efficiencies to the process. It can also bring “data bias,” in which an AI framewo...

background screening in the gig economy, trends

Trends in Background Checks to Watch in 2021

How will employee background checks change and evolve in 2021? Few people could have predicted the ways that hiring and ...

Industry News, Healthcare Background Checks, elder care

What You Need to Know About Background Checks for Caregivers

In-home caregivers are a vital part of the healthcare sector. These workers allow many elderly individuals to maintain i...

Industry News, kids sports background screening, coaches background checks

What Not to Do with Kids Sports Background Screening

Kids' sports background screening policies represent a critical responsibility for youth sports organizations as they se...

Industry News, COVID-19, background checks for temporary workers

Pandemic Demands Drive New Usage of Temp Workers

With some industries devastated and others buoyed by the pandemic, businesses are using more temp workers to fill the ga...

Industry News, volunteer background checks, Healthcare Background Checks

Things to Remember When Hiring Healthcare Workers

As healthcare organizations take steps to fight the surging COVID-19 pandemic, many are seeking reinforcements in full-t...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks, background screening

Why Background Screening Is Important

Most modern employers conduct employee background checks as part of their hiring protocol. A 2018 survey conducted by th...

Industry News, employee background checks

How Should Companies Handle Employee Vetting in a Work-From-Home World?

When the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred lockdowns that swept across the nation, many employers found themselves...

Industry News, criminal background checks

Boy Scouts and Background Checks

Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is facing a higher-than-expected number of sexual abuse claims from former members. The moun...

Industry News, Uber, lyft, ridesharing background checks

What Proposition 22 Means for Uber, Lyft, and Ridesharing Background Checks

On November 3, voters in California approved “Proposition 22,” a proposal that effectively creates a brand-new employmen...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks, salary history, salary verification

Can Background Checks Verify Salary?

One of the key pieces of information that employers want to know during the hiring process is a candidate’s salary histo...

Industry News, ban the box, tenant background checks

Controversies Brew Over Rules Impacting Housing Access

Across the United States, there are more than half a million individuals who go without a home each night. Efforts to co...

Industry News, COVID-19, EEOC, labor laws

Navigating EEOC Compliance During COVID-19

To say that the COVID-19 pandemic turned the business world upside-down is an understatement. From a massive shift to re...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks, instant background check, fast background screening

How Fast Can Background Checks Be Done?

“How fast are employee background checks?” is a common question among employers and job seekers. When choosing a backgro...

Industry News, clean slate

New Law Change in Pennsylvania Makes ‘Clean Slate’ More Accessible to Ex-Offenders

Two years ago, Pennsylvania passed a revolutionary law that vowed to automatically seal tens of millions of criminal rec...

Industry News, child care background checks

Major Challenges Persist in the Fight to Keep Children Safe

Many families include parents who both work outside of the home. As a result, the childcare industry is worth billions o...

Questions and Answers, Background Checks, employee background checks, how far back does background check go

How Far Back Does a Background Check Go?

Whether you are a hiring manager or a job seeker, you may wonder: how far back does a background check go? For an employ...

Compliance and Legislation, red flags, candidate background check

Candidate Background Check Red Flags

If there is one overarching reason why employers conduct background checks, it’s to discover “red flags” about prospecti...

Industry News, ban the box, second chance

Banning the Box on College Applications

Could ban the box policies be heading toward college campuses? Based on a new law pending in Pennsylvania, the answer is...

Industry News, EEOC

EEOC Takes Aim at Discriminatory Business Practices

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s purview isn’t limited to setting guidelines for hiring and publishing expl...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks, teacher background checks

What Type of Background Checks Do Schools Do?

All employers have a responsibility to ensure the safest work environment possible for their employees. Schools and scho...

Industry News, contractor background screening, locksmith background checks

Why Background Screening for Locksmiths and Other Contractors Is Essential

Are you hiring a locksmith or other contractor for renovating your house, updating the electrical wiring at your busines...

Industry News, ban the box

Update Roundup: What’s New with “Ban the Box”

Hiring new employees is often a more complex process than business owners anticipate. Alongside crafting enticing job ad...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks, recruitment in 2020

How Is Recruitment Impacted by COVID 19?

Recruitment in 2020 has been a major challenge for employers across many industries, due in part to its unpredictable sh...

Industry News, bus driver background checks

Lawsuit Alleges Corruption and Background Check Failures in NYC School Transportation Department

Recent developments within New York City’s Department of Education—specifically its Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT)...

Industry News, education, infographic, the future of school

The Future of School

For years, technology has been altering the landscape of education, adding eLearning and other online learning approache...

Industry News, church background checks

Catholic Church Continues to Fall Short on Abuse Prevention

As chronicled in Oscar-winning movies such as Spotlight, the emergence of the Catholic Church's long struggle with sexua...

Questions and Answers, tenant background checks, landlords do background checks

Do Landlords Do Background Checks?

Background checks are a part of the housing application process for most landlords. From apartment complexes to rental h...

Industry News, criminal history checks

Background Checks and Diversity

Background checks—from criminal history checks to resume verification checks to driving record checks—play vital roles i...

Industry News, Uber, lyft, ridesharing background checks

Uber Accused of Negligent Business Practices in Latest Suit

Alleging that Uber misrepresents the safety of its services and does little to provide oversight of its drivers' actions...

Questions and Answers, third party background checks

Are Background Checks an Invasion of Privacy?

When it comes to the interactions between an employer and their employees, privacy must always be a core tenet of the re...

Industry News, criminal background check

Data Breaches Are Becoming More Common at Hospitals

Data breaches have become an area of concern across multiple industries from retail to finance in recent years. The brea...

Industry News, Background Checks, youth sports, cheerleading

Cheerleading Association's Ban List Featured Glaring Omissions

After the Larry Nasser abuse scandal rocked the world of gymnastics, many observers thought that it would be a watershed...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks, third party background checks

What Is a Third-Party Background Check?

Within employee background checks, “third-party background check” refers to an employer hiring an outside company to per...

Industry News, ban the box, tenant background screening

Proposed Tenant Background Check Bans Draw Criticism

For the formerly incarcerated, the process of re-entering society involves a difficult path with many challenges. Advoca...

Industry News, expungement, ban the box, EEOC

Ban the Box? Some Municipalities Go the Other Way

Providing a path back to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals is a common goal, but not every locale is on b...

Questions and Answers, federal background check, county background checks, state background checks

Are Background Checks Run by State?

One of the common points of confusion around background checks is how geography figures into the equation. Contrary to p...

Industry News, employee background checks, salary history, employment history

Salary History Bans Pick up Steam

Can employers still ask about salary history? Not long ago, it was common for employers to request salary information as...

Industry News, child care background checks, temporary worker background checks, child welfare, child care workers

COVID-19 Creates a Patchwork Landscape of Childcare Policies

An industry that generates tens of billions of dollars in revenue every year, childcare has sustained severe impacts fro...

Questions and Answers, corona virus, tutor background checks, homeschooling

How Do People Do Background Checks for Freelancers?

With the growth of the gig economy, freelancing is becoming more common every year. In 2018, a study conducted by Freela...

Industry News, expungement, Marijuana Decriminalization

Marijuana Decriminalization and Recent Expungement Laws Are Opening Doors for Ex-Offenders

Recent legislative trends in the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana and the expungement of past criminal of...

Industry News, Background Checks, vendor background checks

Food Trucks Still Face an Uncertain Business & Regulatory Environment

Food trucks are far from a novelty—mobile food vendors operate everywhere from Alaska to Idaho. However, just a decade a...

Questions and Answers, Coronavirus, tutor background checks, homeschooling

Which Background Checks Are Needed for Tutors?

 Are you thinking about hiring a tutor for your child? Because of coronavirus, interest is on the upswing for tutors, Zu...

Industry News, Background Checks, FCRA, Credit checks

The Future of Credit Checks

Do credit checks have a future as part of the employee background check process? As legislation increasingly restricts t...

Industry News, child care, background checks for tutors

Kentucky Nonprofit Steps in to Help Parents Afford Background Checks for Tutors

As the start of the 2020 school year arrives, many parents nationwide are facing challenging choices about how to balanc...

Questions and Answers, school employee background checks, Coronavirus

How to Optimize the Onboarding of New Employees as We Return to Work

Employers are at a crossroads in their journey through the COVID-19 pandemic. They have had a whirlwind of a year, from ...

Industry News, aged care, volunteer background checks

Volunteers and Caregivers: Background Check Policies

Which role should background checks play for aged care providers? Michigan recently took a big step in standardizing cer...

Industry News

Getting Ready to Fast-Track Hiring After the Pandemic

COVID-19 has effectively brought the economy to a grinding halt. 42 states (as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.)...

Industry News, EEOC, contractor background checks

Uber and Lyft Face Backlash for Classifying Workers as Independent Contractors

Should Uber and Lyft consider their drivers employees? This question is at the center of a growing debate concerning the...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, incomplete background checks

Why Do Incomplete Background Checks Cause Problems?

Most American employers conduct background checks as part of their hiring approach. According to a survey from HR.com, 9...

Industry News, employee background checks, ongoing monitoring

Modernizing Background Checks: The Impact of Technology

Though it's hard to imagine now, employee background checks are only a few decades ahead of tedious, paper-based process...

Industry News, child care, youth programs

Boys & Girls Clubs of America Pledge to Do More After Poor Report

With more than 4,000 local chapters spread across the country, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America are among the largest a...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, HR

How Are HR Departments Dealing with the Pandemic?

Human resource departments have been facing unprecedented challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic began. How can you nour...

Industry News, contractor background checks, federal contractors

What You Should Know About the New Executive Order Impacting Federal Contractors and Immigration

Companies that contract with the federal government should be aware of a new federal executive order that could have an ...

Industry News, ban the box

Shelby County and Bethesda County Consider Ban the Box Changes

After a slow start in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the ban the box movement gained steam based on a simple idea: ...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, hiring best practices

What Are the Best Practices for Hiring New Employees After the Pandemic?

While the pandemic is not over, the job market has reached a point of relative stability compared to March and April. In...

Industry News, tenant background checks

Eliminating Bias in Tenant Background Checks

While some municipalities have taken steps in recent years to limit how landlords vet prospective tenants, tenant backgr...

Industry News, COVID-19, health monitoring

HR Must Adapt to Support a New Normal in the Office

As workplaces around the world grapple with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, many have begun the hard work of thi...

expungement, drug tests, decriminalization

A Mid-Year Compliance Report: The Impacts of Marijuana Legalization

In 2012, Colorado and Washington made history by becoming the first two states in the country to legalize the recreation...

Industry News, Background Checks, care.com, background check accuracy

Care.com Hit with Large Settlement Over False Background Check Claims

Where do you turn when you need help finding a regular babysitter, or someone to watch over your pets while you're away ...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, coronavirus recruiting

How Has COVID-19 Impacted Recruiting

According to CEO Today Magazine, the size of the job staffing industry in the United States has fallen 21 percent, from ...

Industry News, pay equity, FCRA, salary history

A Mid-Year Compliance Report: Pay Equity Laws

Last week, we explored some of the legislation and compliance changes that have occurred so far in 2020 in the ban the b...

Industry News, COVID-19, Background Checks, temporary workers

Getting a Job During a Global Pandemic

When unemployment began to swell in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic gained speed, some observers believed that it wo...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, fast track hiring

How to Fast Track Hiring During the Pandemic

COVID-19 has posed multiple challenges to employers trying to fill new positions. Many businesses have had to respond to...

Industry News, ban the box, EEOC, FCRA

A Mid-Year Ban the Box Compliance Report: Ban the Box

2020 has been a hectic year for everyone, but especially for employers. First, businesses had to contend with the stay-a...

Industry News, expungement, clean slate bill

Georgia Joins States Expanding Options for Record Expungement

A criminal record of any kind is a potential barrier to everything from housing to employment to credit. Though applican...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, employee background checks

Why Will Background Checks Matter Even More after COVID-19?

In June, the United States economy gained 4.8 million jobs—not only blowing past the predicted job gain figure of 2.9 mi...

Industry News, Academia background checks

Will Colleges and Universities Face a Staffing Shortage This Fall?

What will the fall hold for colleges and universities? Across the country, students and families are asking this questio...

Industry News, HR Tools

HR Technology Equips Businesses with Vital Tools for Success

Technology has always been a vital component of success in business, but in the modern world of enterprise, it is more c...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, job market

Which New Jobs Have Been Created During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

For the most part, the coronavirus has been devastating to the economy and the job market. At the peak of the first emer...

Industry News, School bus driver background checks

Why Bus Driver Background Checks Are Important

School bus driver background checks provide vital protection for student safety. They are also a key safeguard against c...

Industry News, COVID-19

Finding a Job in the COVID-19 Era

In the span of just a few short weeks, tens of millions of jobs crashed out of the economy, leaving swollen unemployment...

Questions and Answers, background check, COVID-19, work from home

How Is Work from Home Affecting Hiring?

The further we get into the COVID-19 pandemic, the less the work-from-home model appears to be a strictly temporary meas...

Industry News, COVID-19, EEOC

EEOC Issues Updated COVID-19 Technical Assistance Publication

On June 11, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published a new COVID-19 technical assistan...

Industry News, COVID-19, fair chance

Offering "Fair Chance" Opportunities in the Wake of COVID-19

Will the huge spike in unemployment and the massive demand for new jobs force employers to loosen their standards? Or is...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, Background Checks, Background Checks to work at Pitney Bowes

Background Checks to Work at Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes is a brand synonymous with technological innovation in the postage industry. In 1902, founder Arthur Pitney...

Industry News, tenant background checks

The Pitfalls of Cheap Background Check Companies and Their Automated Screenings

Whether you’re vetting a prospective employee or conducting tenant background checks on potential renters, it is critica...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, social media background checks

Are Social Media Background Checks Popular During COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic briefly caused delays in many background checks, from county criminal history screenings to employ...

Industry News, COVID-19, temporary workers, remote work

How Can Companies Appropriately Screen New Remote Workers?

Even as some regions begin to lift their lockdowns to jump-start the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic has ensured that typ...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, background check process

How Long Will My Background Check Take During the Pandemic?

For several months after COVID-19 hit the United States, one of the many consequences of the pandemic was a slowdown in ...

Industry News, COVID-19, daycare worker background checks

The Return to Daycare and the Importance of Background Checks for Childcare Workers

As the economy reopens and parents go back to work, the return to daycare will be a common topic of conversation. For mo...

Industry News, COVID-19, forbes list

Forbes Releases List of Businesses with Best COVID-19 Responses

When unexpected and disruptive circumstances develop, how prepared is your business to respond to sudden stresses? While...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, background check pipeline

Will Background Checks During the COVID-19 Pandemic Be Delayed?

Since March, much of the economy has been at a standstill due to stay-at-home orders and other quarantine protections in...

Industry News, COVID-19, contractor screening

The Value of Background Checks When Hiring Contractors

COVID-19 brought with it an unprecedented need for medical products and personal protection equipment. Some questionable...

Industry News, FBI background checks

Pennsylvania Provides Guidelines for FBI Background Checks Delayed by COVID-19

In many sensitive employment or volunteer situations, such as providing child care or being a foster parent, a clean and...

Industry News, COVID-19, ban the box

What New York Employers Should Know about Article 23-A and COVID-19 Releases

Nationwide, COVID-19 has created an unprecedented push to release inmates from jail or prison, often before their senten...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, back to work

What Companies Should Do When Returning to Work after COVID-19

As stay-at-home orders lift and the conversation continues about reopening the United States economy, it’s critical that...

Industry News, COVID-19, Credit checks

Keeping Your Credit Score Safe During Pandemic Pressures

With record unemployment numbers, tens of millions of workers are now without regular access to a paycheck. As some stat...

Industry News, county criminal history searches

How Courthouses Reopening Will Impact Employee Background Checks

Across the country, governors are making plans to ease their states out of lockdowns and start lifting stay-at-home orde...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks

How Are Companies Hiring Remotely?

COVID-19 has created the biggest experiment in remote work in history. It’s also reshaped the recruiting and hiring proc...

Industry News, Healthcare Background Checks

Recruiting Foreign Healthcare Workers

We could soon see the arrival of tens of thousands of foreign healthcare workers in the United States thanks to a bipart...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, Coronavirus, ongoing monitoring

What Are Best Practices for Supporting Employees During COVID-19?

The novel coronavirus has threatened the existence of many businesses, either by shutting their doors or affecting their...

Industry News, COVID-19, Background Checks, temporary workers

New York Starts Hiring Push for COVID-19 Contact Tracers

New York is hiring. As more states develop guidelines for reopening businesses to blunt the economic impact of the COVID...

Industry News, COVID-19, ongoing monitoring

Establishing Smart Guidelines for Working from Home (WFH)

In the span of only a few months, working from home went from a novel work feature to a widespread trend born of necessi...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks

Which Sources Do Employers Use for Employee Background Checks? Keywords: employee background checks

When an employer conducts employee background checks, which sources do they use to collect accurate, up-to-date informat...

Industry News, Healthcare Background Checks

Introducing the New App That Could Reshape Hospital Hiring During the Pandemic

A new software solution developed as part of a global hackathon event could hold solutions to some of the challenges tha...

Questions and Answers, COVID-19, employee background checks, coronavirus recruiting

How Is Recruiting Impacted by COVID 19?

COVID-19 has impacted virtually every aspect of work and employment, and the pandemic has had a significant impact on re...

Industry News, COVID-19, Healthcare Background Checks

Hiring Healthcare Professionals in a Pandemic

A pandemic poses unique challenges for hiring across all industries. In the first six weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak in ...

Industry News, COVID-19, employee background checks

Hiring Efficiently in Industries Facing High Coronavirus-Related Demand

Despite record-high unemployment numbers and growing signs of a recession, some businesses are facing a shortage of work...

Questions and Answers, alias background check

Do Previous Legal Names Show up on Background Checks?

One of the biggest areas of confusion regarding background checks is how they consider name changes. Some estimates poin...

The Best Recruiting or HR Tools for SMMEs

When it comes to attracting, recruiting, and hiring top talent, Small, Medium & Micro Enterprise businesses (SMMEs) are ...

The Fair Chance Act and Ban the Box Legislation

All Federal and State LawsOver the past decade, few trends in background checks have been more notable than the wave of ...

Industry News, COVID-19, background screening

Adapting to the Realities of Job Screening During a Pandemic

If there was a talent crunch before the outbreak of COVID-19, its severity has doubled since. For employers, the challen...

Industry News, employee retention

Finding New Ways to Work and Recruit

We are currently experiencing the biggest incidental remote work experiment ever conducted. For now, the ability to pivo...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks

Do Background Checks Depend on the Position Hired?

Employee background checks vary significantly. While some job seekers assume that every job background check is just a s...

Credit Checks: What You Should Know

From an employer’s perspective, it sometimes makes sense to look at a job applicant’s credit history. The argument is th...

Industry News, COVID-19, employee background checks

Navigating Staffing Challenges During a Pandemic

With the spread of the novel coronavirus and a global surge in cases of COVID-19, the global community and its economy f...

Industry News, COVID-19, FCRA, staff background checks

CFPB Issues Guidance on FCRA in Light of COVID-19

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued guidance to help consumer reporting agencies (including ...

Industry News, ban the box

Iowa City Wins Court Battle Over Banning the Box—For Now

Across the country, many states and local communities have adopted “fair chance” laws aimed at increasing access to work...

Industry News, temporary worker background checks

Who Is Still Hiring During the COVID-19 Crisis?

Across the country—and around the world—the economy has mostly shut down due to COVID-19. Businesses spanning countless ...

Questions and Answers

What Is an Extensive Background Check?

Most employers do not provide details about what their employee background checks entail. Trying to find this informatio...

Industry News, teacher background checks, background checks for coaches

Pennsylvania Universities Win the Right to Background Check All Employees

In 2014, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE) enacted new rules requiring criminal background check...

Questions and Answers

Will Employee Background Checks Show Unemployment Payments?

Have you recently been terminated from your job? If so, you may be eligible to apply for unemployment benefits. Some peo...

Industry News, COVID-19, employee background checks

Hiring During the COVID-19 Pandemic

 The COVID-19 (novel corona virus) viral pandemic has dealt the economy a fierce blow. Virtually every industry has been...

Industry News, ban the box

Are "Ban the Box" Regulations Helping or Hurting Minority Workers?

Across America, more than half of the states have adopted a "ban the box" policy. Aimed at removing questions about crim...

Questions and Answers, employee background checks, metro background checks, county background checks

Will My Address Affect Background Check?

When employers run background checks, they often take addresses and affiliated geographical locations into account. Whil...

Industry News, expungement

Georgia Senate Votes in Favor of New Expungement Bill

Expungement could soon be considerably easier for Georgia citizens. A bill recently passed by the Georgia State Senate w...

Industry News, tenant background checks

Will Tenant Background Checks Be a Thing of the Past?

When an individual applies to become a tenant in a rental property, he or she must often consent to a range of screening...

employee background checks, temporary worker background checks, background checks for actors

Should Studios Be Able to Perform Background Checks on Actors?

Even if film studios don’t order criminal history screenings or other formal employee background checks for their actors...

Industry News, employee background checks

What Employers Need to Do: Background Checks

It’s a question that virtually every employer has asked at one point or another: what do I need to do regarding employee...

Industry News, employee monitoring, ongoing background monitoring

Ongoing Employee Monitoring Is Essential for Safety Improvements

Second chances are significant, but they must not come at the expense of safety and security. Striking this balance is t...

Industry News, ongoing criminal monitoring, safe environment

Church's Efforts Reveal One Pathway to Creating a Safe Environment for All

What does it take to create a safe environment in a school, church, or business? This question is on the minds of leader...

Questions and Answers, background checks for tenants

Does an eviction show up on a criminal background check?

Applying to become a rental property tenant may feel like putting your entire life on display. Landlords often require e...

Industry News, Academia background checks

University of Maryland Moves Toward a Broader Background Check Policy

For college administrators nationwide, protecting and enhancing on-campus safety are two of the most pressing tasks. Wit...

Questions and Answers, background checks at border control

Does Border Patrol Do a Background Check When Crossing?

When travelling, considering your criminal record is not usually on your pre-departure checklist. However, if you are cr...

Industry News, expungement, clean slate bill, MyClearStart

Acceptance Grows for "Clean Slate" Approach to Criminal Records

Even if it only contains misdemeanors, a criminal record can be a critical barrier to housing, employment, and many othe...

Industry News, Background Checks, childcare workers

Indiana Legislators Look to Close Childcare Background Check Loophole

The US Census Bureau estimates that there are five million children in traditional daycare facilities with another two m...

Questions and Answers, credit history background checks

Does a Criminal Background Check Include Your Credit History?

The heart of most pre-employment background check processes is the criminal history check. However, job seekers and empl...

Industry News, temporary workers

Hiring Cybersecurity Staff: What You Need to Know

Whether you are looking for full-time cybersecurity professionals to be a part of your IT team or planning to work with ...

Industry News

New York City Considers Requiring Landlords to Educate Tenants on Rental Rights

When can a landlord access your apartment? Do they have to provide heat when it is cold? How much should an application ...

Questions and Answers, background checks at consulting companies

Do Consulting Companies Do Background Checks?

What should you expect from the background checks at consulting companies? The answer will vary depending on the busines...

Industry News, employee background checks

Cosmetics Company Experiments with “Open Hiring”

One of the significant trends in background checks is the rise of ban the box legislation, which bars employers from ask...

Industry News, credit check, credit history

Responsible Credit Checks Are an Invaluable Resource for Hiring

As an employer, how can you reasonably gauge how likely it is that someone will commit fraud against your business? Comp...

Industry News

States Begin to Use Church Abuse Lists as Part of License Background Checks

More and more states are screening names against lists of accused Catholic church abusers when licensing prospective tea...

Questions and Answers, Do background checks show warrants

Do Background Checks Show Warrants?

Usually, when employers are running background checks to look for criminal history, they are looking for past conviction...

Industry News, criminal background check, violent crime

Major Security Provider Under Scrutiny Over Vetting Practices

Many businesses face an increasing need to protect themselves from liability through better pre-employment screening in ...

Questions and Answers

Do Prisons Run Criminal Background Checks Before Visitation?

If you are hoping to visit a loved one in jail but have a criminal history of your own, you might wonder: do prisons run...

Industry News

Why Social Media Background Checks Are a Slippery Slope

As soon as social media became a pervasive force in the average person’s day-to-day life, employers started using online...

Industry News, FCRA, federal background check

Background Checks Must Be Comprehensive to Be Fully Effective

The resume is meant to be one of the cornerstones of the employment application process, a record of an individual's ski...

Industry News, criminal history background, EEOC

What You Need to Know about EEOC Lawsuits

When conducting background checks and making decisions based on criminal history, employers must be familiar with guidan...

Questions and Answers

Do Background Checks Depend on the Position Being Filled?

Does the extent of an employee background check vary depending on the job at hand? The answer is “Yes.” Jobs involve dif...

Industry News, employee background checks

Can Artificial Intelligence Take Bias Out of the Hiring Equation?

One of the trendiest technologies today, artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere. Tech giants say that it powers ...

Questions and Answers, national criminal background check, pass background checks, fail background check

What it means to Fail a Background Check

What Happens If You Fail a Background Check? How do you pass background checks? What happens if you fail a background ch...

Industry News, tenant background checks

Landlords in New York Want to Repeal the State’s New Tenant Protection Act

Landlords in New York Want to Repeal the State’s New Tenant Protection Act  In mid-2019, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ...

Industry News, background check, delivery drivers

Florida Considers Mandatory Vetting for Home Delivery Contractors

When you order a new refrigerator or dishwasher, how can you trust the individuals who come to your door to deliver and ...

Industry News, ban the box, fair chance act

The Fair Chance Act: What You Need to Know

Ban the box legislation isn’t new, but it has so far been limited to smaller geographical areas or governmental units. T...

Questions and Answers, national criminal background check, pass background checks

What Does It Mean to Pass a Criminal Background Check?

Many businesses, on their job postings or employment listings, will say: “Candidates will be required to pass background...

Industry News, expungement

Pathways to Expungement for Minor Crimes Expand Further

As even more states choose to fully legalize marijuana, the legacy of its illicit status continues to be a source of str...

Industry News, background checks for bus drivers

Bus Driver Background Check Flaws

Record-low unemployment rates have combined with a job that is typically viewed as difficult and thankless to create a s...

Questions and Answers

What Does a National Criminal Background Check Include?

The “national criminal background check” is one of the most misunderstood components of the background screening process...

Questions and Answers

How to Get a Criminal Background Check for Employment

Are you devising a background check policy for your business or trying to decide who to hire as a contractor? A criminal...

Industry News, fair chance, ban the box, education

Higher Education Tries to Move "Beyond the Box"

It's no secret that a steep road lies ahead for individuals seeking to re-enter society after a period of incarceration....

Industry News, ongoing background checks

Insider Threat for Data a Growing Concern

Businesses and organizations possess more data about their customers than ever before. Between online account informatio...

Questions and Answers, criminal background check

What Comes First: The Background Check or the Drug Test?

The background check process for a job opportunity often includes a criminal background check, verification checks to en...

Industry News, dating apps

Could Dating Apps Do More to Vet Their Users?

Once confined to websites accessed from home computers, online dating has gone mobile. Dating apps dominate the social s...

Industry News, Uber background checks, Lyft background checks

Are Ridesharing Services Becoming Safer?

Ridesharing services Uber and Lyft have come under fire for not doing enough to prevent rapes and sexual assaults at the...

Industry News, safety tips for festive season

Celebrate the Holidays by Keeping Your Business Safe

When the holidays approach, flurries of activity often accompany flurries of snow. With uncountable numbers hitting the ...

Questions and Answers

Pre-Employment Background Check: What Shows Up?

The employment background check is a standard part of most hiring processes. According to an HR.com survey, 95 percent o...

Industry News, criminal background check, FCRA

The Gilberg Decision: What a Recent Court Case Reminds Us about the FCRA

Background check lawsuits have increased in number over the past ten years. According to CBS News, background check comp...

Industry News, tenant background checks

The Debate about Tenant Background Checks

Should landlords be free to run tenant background checks and make decisions based on details such as criminal history? T...

Industry News, state background checks, digital threats

Digital Threats to Background Check Systems Continue to Increase

A fast, effective process for hiring and onboarding new employees is an essential tool for any business. Time is money, ...

Industry News, EEOC, discrimination

Dollar General Agrees to Pay $6 Million in EEOC Settlement

For large and small employers across a broad spectrum of industries, pre-employment background checks are an integral pa...

Questions and Answers, national criminal background check, cost of background check

How Much Does a Criminal Background Check Cost

If you are conducting a criminal background check—whether on yourself or a prospective employee—one of your top question...

Industry News, criminal background checks, vendor screening

The State of Vendor & Contractor Screening

For years, employment-related background checks have been constricted by the phrase “employment-related.” Businesses are...

Industry News

Effective Safeguards for Children in Youth Sports Start at the Top

From baseball diamonds in the spring to the football fields of fall, youth sports offers children of almost every age th...

Questions and Answers, Pennsylvania criminal background checks

How Long Is a PA Criminal Background Check Good For?

Pennsylvania employers have two questions to consider about their background checks regarding time. First, how many year...

Industry News, ban the box, tenant background checks

Ban the Box Reaches Rental Applications in Detroit

“Ban the box” policies are laws and ordinances that prohibit some inquiries into criminal history, and they are not new....

Industry News, criminal background checks

Effective Background Check Policies Require Reliable Oversight Procedures

Thorough criminal background checks protect businesses in many ways, not only verifying suitability for a position but a...

Industry News, how long does a background check last

How Long Is a Background Check Good For?

How long does a background check last? This question is difficult to answer, but critical to address: many employers use...

Industry News, privacy and background checks

Can Law Enforcement Run Background Checks on Speakers at Public Meetings?

Businesses can benefit from running background checks on virtually anyone who they bring into their inner circle, from f...

Industry News, temporary workers, hourly employees

Seasonal Hiring: What Employers Should Know

For businesses across many industries, the holiday season is the single biggest source of sustained revenue each year. W...

Questions and Answers, criminal background check, pending charge

How Long Does It Take for a Pending Charge to Show up on a Background Check?

Most of the time, we think of criminal background checks as tools to find out about a person’s criminal convictions. Bec...

Industry News, expungement, Marijuana, drug screening, MyClearStart

Movement to Expunge Marijuana Convictions

In Michigan, residents voted to legalize marijuana completely in the 2018 November election. In September 2019, a bipart...

Industry News, expungement, clear start, MyClearStart

Opportunities Expand, but Barriers Remain for Individuals with Criminal Convictions

It's a shocking statistic: one-third of the US population has had a brush with the justice system through a conviction o...

Questions and Answers, federal background check, employment background check

How Long Does a Federal Background Check Take?

How long does a background check take? In the case of the average employment background check, the answer is between a f...

Industry News, instant background check, schools

Instant Background Checks at Schools: The New Normal?

The idea of conducting instant background checks at schools is not new. For years, school districts all over the country...

Industry News, ongoing background checks

The Insider Threat: What You Should Know

Protecting your business and creating a reliable workforce are priorities. While many companies use pre-employment backg...

Questions and Answers, employment background check

How Does a Background Check Work?

In running an employment background check—or consenting to one—employers and job seekers often have a similar question: ...

Industry News, school bus drivers

Bus Drivers and Background Checks

One of the biggest debates in modern education has nothing to do with the classroom, but rather with the thing that gets...