Background Checks

SBA website offers employers resources for screening applicants

12/15/2015

Did you know that the FBI can help you run background checks on prospective employees?

USCIS proposes ‘smart’ I-9

12/11/2015

With the current version of the Form I-9 set to expire on March 31, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services earlier this month announced it is seeking public comment on a newly revised “smart” version of the I-9 form. The goal: Reducing errors and preventing confusion.

Get real info from candidates’ previous bosses

12/08/2015

Contacting an applicant’s former employers is an essential step in the hiring process. Trouble is, most supervisors have been trained to provide only the bare minimum, such as dates of employment, job title and salary. Try for more than those bland generalities. Asking the following questions can get applicants’ former bosses to open up.

Dauphin County bans the box

12/01/2015

Dauphin County has announced plans to join the ranks of municipalities that will no longer ask applicants about their criminal histories on job applications.

How much background check info can we divulge?

11/13/2015

Q. We terminated an employee’s employment because of a recent conviction. A state agency has asked for details about the reason for the termination. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, what can we share with the agency regarding details on background checks?

New rules ‘ban the box’ on federal applications

11/03/2015

On Nov. 2, President Obama unveiled a new executive order that will prevent federal agencies from asking job candidates about their criminal backgrounds until later in the hiring process.

How do we go about verifying I-9 documents for remote employees?

10/28/2015

Q. We have a workforce that largely works remotely, some hundreds of miles from our corporate office. For a variety of reasons, we will be reclassifying a number of these individuals from independent contractor status to employees. Given that we will need I-9s for the employees, do we need to personally see the required identification documents, or can the employees send us facsimiles/scans, etc.? If we need to see the forms personally, what is the best way to do that?

The do’s and don’ts of Form I-9 compliance

10/28/2015

Since 2009, authorities from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been aggressively auditing employers for compliance with the rules for maintaining a Form I-9 for every employee. Make sure yours are in order.

How to handle a reference request from a subpar former employee?

10/22/2015

Q. A former employee asked me to provide a reference to a prospective employer. While he left our company on good terms, he had lateness problems, his performance was substandard, and I was not fond of him. Can he sue me for giving him a bad reference?

How should I handle a reference request from a former employee who was less than stellar?

10/05/2015

Q. A former employee asked me to provide a reference to his new prospective employer. While he left the company on good terms, he had lateness problems, his performance was substandard and I was not fond of him. Am I required to act as his reference? Can he sue me for giving him a bad reference?