Mar
29
FBI warning: Extremists want to drive our school buses
Filed Under Employment screening, Criminal checks | Leave a Comment
The FBI stirred up a firestorm this month by issuing a bulletin to police warning that suspected members of extremist groups had signed up as school bus drivers.
Naturally, this got immediate media attention. The FBI then held a press conference during which they appeared to be playing down the risk. A spokesman said, […]
Mar
26
Certain professions require more specialized screening than the traditional background check. Medical providers fall into this category. In this post we explore the medical exclusions database provided by the U.S. Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and how it is used for medical employment screening.
The OIG exclusions list is a powerful tool […]
Mar
22
The Red Cross recently made a public relations error. In the wake of fraudulent activity connected with Hurricane Katrina, they decided to implement a background check for all of their volunteers. Their background check release form, however, went beyond the standard waiver to examine criminal records. It included permission to pull […]
Mar
20
Background checks, custody battles, and Anna Nicole Smith
Filed Under Criminal checks, Legal | Leave a Comment
Since Anna Nicole Smith’s death, a firestorm has broken out over her seemingly drug-related death, and custody of her child. Where there is money, there are lawyers, and many allegations of criminal activity have been made. In the latest round, the social services department has ordered a background check on Anna’s mother as […]
Mar
12
Green is for sex offender
Filed Under Criminal checks, Legal | 1 Comment
Pity the poor sex offender. They have to register their address, can’t live near schools and playgrounds, and their names are available for all to see at the national sex offender registry. And now, things are about to get worse. Ohio is considering a bill that would require sex offenders to put […]
Mar
8
Overlawyered.com recently described a New Jersey bill which would require internet dating sites to post prominent notices regarding criminal background checks for their members. The sites are required to post in 12-point type whether or not they have done a background check on their users. If the site has run the criminal checks, […]
Mar
7
The Google background check
Filed Under Employment screening, Criminal checks, FCRA, Legal | 3 Comments
Traditional criminal checks have protections for employees built-in to the system, courtesy of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). State laws also serve to protect the subjects of employee background checks. Some criminal records dog job candidates longer than they would like, but at least the person is notified about the problem, and […]
Mar
1
What are the legal requirements for a nanny background check?
Filed Under Employment screening, FCRA, Legal | Leave a Comment
If you are a consumer, as opposed to a business owner or human-resource professional, you probably do not run background checks very often. Maybe to check out a boyfriend, or a self-check prior to interviewing for a job. These are all casual searches that do not affect someone else’s job, credit, or housing. […]



