Follow the rules
Up in Boston, Harvard School System Superintendent Thomas Jefferson has escaped one kind of trouble just in time to land in another kind. When the Worcester district attorney's office announced that it wouldn't pursue a criminal case on alleged illegal payments, Johnson must have breathed a sigh of relief. Now he's in trouble in a different way. Here's a quote from the Boston Globe about the situation and how a background check plays into it. A Harvard parent, Robert Harrah, said he has filed a complaint with the state's Criminal History Systems Board, alleging that Jefferson discussed his criminal record [...]
Even a background check won’t save you
"For anyone who is dating and in a serious relationship, I strongly recommend doing a background check on your significant other. This could save you much pain and heartache." That's from a letter to the editor of the Tuscaloosa News headlined, "Before dating, check background." Here's the story. The writer of the letter met a woman he thought was "drop dead gorgeous." He doesn't tell us how or where. They went out on a date and he caught her stuffing her purse with silverware and the tip money he'd left on the table. Evidently this was no big deal for [...]
Entrepreneur weighs in on background checks for small business
Nina Kaufman, who writes the "Make It Legal" blog for Entrepreneur filed a post titled "Conducting Background Checks." The blog provides information on legal matters for small businesses. Most of the advice is pretty straightforward. If you read this blog regularly, you know that we frequently offer advice like the following on background checks. . . . they can form an important facet of your due diligence for your small business. It’s not just about criminal matters, although that’s a part of it. For example, if you intend to hire an employee to handle sensitive financial matters, you’d want to [...]
A Texas horror story
On Sunday, September 23, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ran a major story by Darren Barbee about the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Service and that agency's background check and certification procedures for nurse aides. The headline was "Nurse aides let back into jobs despite ban: Texas recertifies some caregivers who were disciplined in theft and abuse cases." Barbee described the way things work this way. The tales found in the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Service's disciplinary files can be savage, sad and stomach-turning. But they are intended to serve an essential purpose: protecting Texas grandparents, disabled children [...]
Tell them why and tell them what
When Judy Krezmer put together her program titled “Background Checks and Security Clearances" for the Pennsylvania College of Technology, she zeroed in on important advice for job seekers. The current emphasis on security and liability has made employers a lot more cautious about who they hire. No matter what job you apply for, you are likely to go through some kind of check — criminal, background or credit. Krezmer, operations and marketing manager for DePasquale Staffing Services in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, had two key pieces of advice for job seekers. She told them to expect a background check when they apply [...]
Homeowners associations are using background checks
Background checks aren't just for the government, employers and landlords any more. Now homeowners associations are getting into the background check act. The Clarion-Ledger from Clarion, Mississippi reports the following. A new development in Jackson requires criminal background checks for its potential residents. And a set of tony subdivisions building country French- and European-style homes in Rankin County has banned registered sex offenders in its protective covenants. Homeowners Association is a general term that's used for a variety of associations that manage common interest developments. The association has the authority to enforce the covenants, conditions, and restrictions and to manage [...]