There has been an uptick in background check news, specifically as it pertains to the hiring processes. We’ve pulled a few of these together in this winter update:
• Employers: Consider Pre-Employment Background Checks – National Law Review
The National Law Review recently published an article highlighting a number of reasons for employers to have an effective pre-employment background screening process. Reasons included that: (1) its just good business; (2) hiring the right employee will reduce turnover saving time and money; and (3) effective screening may reduce legal exposure. Not having to replace a bad employee saves a company on training costs and ramp-up time. It insulates the company from inexperienced employees who may damage customer relationships. And it stops the company from hiring those that may steal from it, or from customers, or from engaging in otherwise illegal behavior that may be imputed to the company.
• OIG: Amtrak should improve worker background checks – Progressive Railroading
Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently found that despite the company’s strengthening its process of checking potential employee backgrounds, more improvement is needed. OIG said it found “significant management control weaknesses” in the hiring process that resulted in “waste and operational risk.” While background checks are generally completed before an employees starts and criminaly history reviews have improved, education and employment history reviews are inefficient, and Amtrak does not ensure contractors conduct background checks.
• More Employers Adopting Continuous Background Checks on Employees – Insurance Journal
This article from Insurance Journal is a few months old but worth mentioning. While the article notes that the number of companies that continuously monitor their employees is not known, it may very well become a larger trend nationwide. In fact, membership in the National Association of Professional Background Screeners more than quadrupled last year. With companies being anxious about their pre-screening procedures and questioning whether they missed something, ongoing checks may be their answer.
References:
https://www.progressiverailroading.com/amtrak/news/OIG-Amtrak-should-improve-worker-background-checks–56061
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/employers-consider-pre-employment-background-checks
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/07/12/494922.htm
