Generation Y: Search Savvy, or Not?
It's an article of faith that the younger generation, especially the people joining the workforce now and part of what's called "Generation Y," are a tech-savvy bunch. That's surely true overall, but their savvy may not extend to protecting their privacy in important ways. According to a news release from Adecco, a recruiting and staffing firm, "in a recent Adecco Workplace Insights survey, 66 percent of Generation Y respondents were not aware that seemingly private photos, comments and statements were audited by potential employers." This is an interesting finding, since more and more employers are using Google and other online [...]
A background check to store propane?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to take aim at farmers who might have "too much" propane on hand. According to an article in the Southerner, proposed regulations would make propane a "chemical of interest" if kept in quantities of 7500 pounds (1785 gallons) or more. That's not an issue if you just use propane for your backyard grill, but if you're a farmer it could cost you. Up till now, farmers have been able to keep up to 10,000 pounds of propane for farm use without incurring any special cost or scrutiny. Eighty percent of US farms [...]
Beyond the background check
Pittston, Pennsylvania is located in the northeastern part of the state, between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. The Wilke-Barre Times Leader reports that Pittston Area School District Superintendent Ross Scarantino and the school board have to defend the hiring of a teacher who, it turns out, was charged with a felony count of burglary in 2004. The newly hired teacher, Kelli Diaz, was indeed charged with burglary then. But those charges were dismissed by a judge in 2005. She completed college and her student teaching. She obtained a teaching certificate. Then she applied for a job with the Pittston School District. After [...]
Who’s got access to your data? A case for background checks
Last month the Utah Department of Corrections suspended a program where inmates were used for data-entry when it came to light that the inmates may have stolen confidential information. Last year there was a similar incident in Fresno, CA. Several years back, there were stories of inmates in state prisons gaining access to the private information of people who were customers of companies that had outsourced computer work to the prison system. Now, there's a story in the Financial Express of India about how Indian firms that handle business process outsourcing are starting to ramp up their background check processes [...]
Who watches the watchmen?
Hired any good security guards lately? Unless you're a really big business, the answer to that question is probably, "No." Most small companies don't hire security guards. Instead they contract with a security company to provide guard services. And that can be dangerous. According to Bill Whitmore, President and CEO, AlliedBarton Security Services, quoted in Chief Engineer: "Our country has no national background check system to ensure all private security officer personnel can be quickly vetted and screened." Did that surprise you? The very people you're counting on to protect your property might be people you have to worry about. [...]
What to do when there is drug activity on your rental property
In Wooster, Ohio there's a police detective giving landlords advice. The advice isn't unique to his town or even to Ohio. The fact is that in most cities, the majority of the illegal drug activity happens on rental property. A drug dealer may rent property and then use the location either as a place to sell drugs or a place for buyers to use drugs. Many times the dealer doesn't even need to rent the property himself. He can find a customer or associate to rent the property and then just show up and start doing business. If you're a [...]