It is important to note that not every employer is going to pull a credit report. In fact, usually only businesses that are related to finance or profit gain/loss will use credit reports when making hiring decisions. And while some businesses not related to money may request a credit check, these checks are only referenced at the very end of the hiring process and are not a huge factor in whether or not you get hired.

For those who are applying to finance-related jobs, don’t worry as poor credit does not immediately disqualify you from a job or position. Employers are more understanding than you might think and won’t let a single blemish disqualify someone from a job. Tom Armour, the co-founder of HighReturnSelection.com, was quoted as saying that “[He] once observed a fellow who had gone bankrupt being hired for a key financial role. He was brilliant, and the company felt the bankruptcy was a life learning event.” Don’t sweat things as employers are forgiving and more than willing to overlook little mistakes.

However, this doesn’t give you free reign as an overwhelmingly negative credit report can still hurt your prospects. TyAnn Osborn, a director of human resources for the the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation feels that “One late payment to Columbia House Music back in 1988 doesn’t concern me; however, I did have a candidate with multiple foreclosures and a string of late payments. Over a period of time, it represented a series of poor decisions and lack of judgment. That did concern me, and ultimately we did not extend an offer.”

In the end, employers may want to use a credit check in their hiring process, but these are not always the deciding factor when making a hiring decision. For more on credit check fact versus fiction, check out a great article by clicking here! And for those who are interested in finding out more about the hiring process (pre-screening, employee background checks, etc.), tune into our blog every week for regular content!

The post Employers Want Background AND Credit Checks?! appeared first on Blueline.

For this complex question, there is a simple solution. Tenant screening is an easy-to use process that helps landlords and property managers evaluate if a tenant can actually meet the terms of a lease (i.e. pay rent, maintain the property, and get along with neighbors). These services, which can include background checks, are provided quickly and efficiently so that potential renters are not forced to endure long waiting times or be left without a place to live.

As far as legislation is concerned, landlords are well within their legal right to conduct tenant background checks. Additionally, property owners are allowed to have their own set of screening criteria as long as it is not discriminatory in any way. Remember this fact, because if you are to reject a tenant based on the findings of a tenant screening check (or take action like an increased deposit or co-signer requirement), then you must inform the tenant in writing as to why these actions were taken.

Cost effective and straightforward, tenant screening can be easily managed by Blueline Services. Using things like employment history, credit records, previous realty standing, and a criminal background check, Blueline is able to greatly reduce the risk of troublesome tenants and keep your property in good shape. (Learn other great tips about how to find the right tenants right here!)

For more information, take a look at our full range of services and schedule a consultation on our website to find out more about how we can save you thousands!

The post Finding the Right Tenants appeared first on Blueline.

Essentially, personal or professional reference verification, and employment verification that stray beyond the realm of facts and into personal character assessments and opinions are considered Investigative Consumer Reports. They can be independent background checks, or they could be a part of a regular consumer report.

In California all consumer reports are considered ICRs, and California law (the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act ICRAA) must be followed in addition to federal law.

What are the compliance requirements for running an investigative consumer report?

An Investigative Consumer Report  requires a separate disclosure as to the nature and scope of the report as well as separate authorization. Technically, when an ICR is part of a regular consumer report, the disclosure with an explanation of the nature and scope of the investigative portion, must be obtained separately from the disclosure for the consumer report. There must also be a notice with the disclosure that a full and detailed disclosure of the nature and scope of the investigation can be obtained upon request.

Authorizations can be combined, but with the separate disclosure requirement it is easier to utilize a disclosure and authorization form for the consumer report and a separate one for the ICR. That way, if the ICR is obtained alone, you already have the required disclosure and authorization ready to go.

If obtaining potentially adverse information from interviews with neighbors, friends, or associates, the CRA performing the ICR must verify that the information provided has been verified, or that the person providing the information is the “best possible source of the information.” FCRA §606(d)(4)(B)

Additionally, §614 stipulates that any adverse information obtained through ICR personal interviews must be obtained within a 3 month period of the report being provided to the party requesting such background check, typically an employer.

Why would companies want to run these checks on potential employees?

Investigative Consumer Reports are commonly opinions of those with a personal relationship or a person who has immediate knowledge of the applicant. This information goes beyond a typical consumer report for a picture of your applicant in a more personal light that information obtained from a consumer report does not. For example, information obtained in a typical consumer report may include credit information, criminal history, factual past employment information, or driving records.

An ICR would ask about a person’s job performance, if it is a professional reference and the best source of the information, or how a person gets along with others in a work setting. This information cannot be gleaned from a consumer report, and if done correctly can give a potential employer more insight into an applicant’s character, work habits, and personal characteristics.

Are there risks associated with running an investigative consumer report?

There are risks involved in running any consumer report. As Investigative Consumer Reports require additional authorization and disclosure, compliance can be tricky when the employer doesn’t understand or want the hassle of following the additional requirements and simple mistakes can occur. Both negligent and willful violations of FCRA compliance can result in a substantial fine for each instance, if a lawsuit is brought against the employer or against the CRA providing the information to the employer.

How are the people chosen for the personal interviews?

Employment verification relies on information from records obtained, as often as possible, directly from the human resources department, payroll, or the owner/operator of the company. From there, if non-factual information is being requested (such as the opinion of the employer about the applicant) it is obtained from the owner/operator or a supervisor who would have direct knowledge of the applicant’s work experience.

Professional or personal references conducted by Blueline Services are conducted with the people provided by the applicant as references. Upon request some references are found by asking the provided reference if they know anybody who would be able to answer the same questions about the applicant (references from references).

The post What is an Investigative Consumer Report? appeared first on Blueline.

This is obviously not the way that background checks are conducted. However, for companies looking to bring on new employees, many think along the same lines and consult the FBI for their employment screening needs.  Long considered the industry gold-standard, the FBI runs fingerprint background checks in an attempt to give employers an accurate understanding of a potential employee’s character. And while the FBI has this name brand recognition, there are an increasing number of errors indicating that the FBI’s services have become outdated and, in some cases, ineffective.

History

Founded in 1992, the Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) is the central repository for all of the criminal justice information that the FBI accesses. Contained here is one of the world’s largest collections of fingerprint records, the heart of any background check that the FBI conducts. And while many would assume that this fingerprint database would provide an accurate background check, the system is not all it is cracked up to be.

Problem

The records that the FBI accesses when conducting their background checks have quite a few drawbacks. For starters, nearly half of the documents at the CJIS headquarters contain arrest records, but not records of actual conviction. Considering that nearly 38% of felony arrests do not lead to conviction, a large percentage of those being investigated are being misrepresented. These errors could cost somebody a job, and attempting to rectify these inaccuracies involves a lengthy legal process that can involve multiple visits to local government institutions.

According to research by the National Employment Law Project, of the 17 million checks that the FBI conducted in 2012, nearly half were found to contain missing or inaccurate information. Often times, this missing information is beneficial to job seekers as it would clear up confusion regarding crimes for which they were never convicted.

Overall, the system currently in use creates wrongful barriers for those seeking a job. These changes have been noted as early as 1971 when judiciary officials noted that the background database had “grown out of effective control overwhelmed by the availability of fingerprints, technological developments, and the enormous increase in population.” It was further recorded that the enormous demands and lack of processes to ensure accuracy led to “arrest record material [that was] incomplete and hence often inaccurate.”

The uninformed support of FBI fingerprint background checks by some public and private entities has also been linked as a key contributor to depressed economies in some areas of the country. Ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft recently decided to cease operations Austin, Texas, on the principle that name based background checks are safer, more accurate and faster than fingerprint background checks.

Solution

Still, despite all of these drawbacks, many continue to use the FBI’s services simply because they do not know of a better alternative. However, those with more industry knowledge have come to suggest name-based background checks as a superior comprehensive solution. For employment screening, the story behind the facts matters. By using the FBI’s database, employers are only able to obtain a limited understanding of prospective employees. While many errantly believe fingerprint background checks are the standard, there needs to be a transition to broader investigations that take more factors into consideration.

Name-based checks do more than just fingerprint; they use names, aliases, addresses, social security numbers, and a myriad of other factors when beginning a new investigation. By digging deep into both local and federal databases, these service providers create a much more accurate representation of a job candidate than a fingerprint analysis. With the clearer perspective provided by these checks, employers have a better understanding of potential hires while prospective employees are safe in the knowledge that the information behind their name is credible and accurate.

For those seeking a thorough and accurate criminal history background check, name-based background investigations are designed specifically for screening employees, volunteers, tenants and people who operate in the sharing economy. These checks are not only faster, but provide the information that organizations need to make informed decisions, that are less likely to land your business in an employment related lawsuit. Please contact Blueline Services today for a free consultation.

The post The Flaws of Employee Criminal Record Checks appeared first on Blueline.

While opinions vary on workplace drug usage, research shows it can have grave consequences for a business. Here are some facts about drugs and alcohol in the workplace:

Alcohol

• Workers with alcohol problems were 2.7 times more likely than workers without drinking problems to have injury-related absences.
• Large federal surveys show that 24% of workers report drinking during the workday at least once in the past year.
• One-fifth of workers and managers across a wide range of industries and company sizes report that a coworker’s on- or off-the-job drinking jeopardized their own productivity and safety.

Drugs

• Workers who report having three or more jobs in the previous five years are about twice as likely to be current or past year users of illegal drugs as those who have had two or fewer jobs.
• 70% of the estimated 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed.
• Marijuana is the most commonly used and abused illegal drug by employees, followed by cocaine, with prescription drug use steadily increasing.

Statistics provided by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). You can read more of their findings here.

For businesses struggling with employees who have a drug or alcohol problem, there plenty of services you can reach out to. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides short-term counseling and aid to any employee in the addiction recovery process.

However, many companies afraid of high turnover rates and lower employee productivity have responded to higher workplace drug usage with more intense employee drug tests. Whether a company chooses stricter employee drug tests or more vigorous background checks, the rise of recreational drug use is something that all employers will eventually have to address.

The post Drugs and Alcohol Becoming More Common at Work? appeared first on Blueline.

More convenient than a cab and more comfortable than driving, the taxi services provided by Lyft and Uber have become widely popular in bigger cities. Compound the high demand with flexible hours and it is plain to see how many have answered the call to become drivers. In response, Lyft and Uber have made efforts to run pre-employment background checks on their new employees with a specific emphasis on keeping out those with past drunk driving convictions. However, the growing number of cases where drivers operate vehicles with an interlock ignition device have caused these companies to come under heavy media scrutiny.

Portable breath-test devices are meant to ensure that drunk drivers, especially repeat offenders, are unable to drink and drive. Installed by court order, these devices are a sure fire indicator of a past DUI conviction. It is Lyft/Uber policy to immediately suspend drivers found with these devices, but the mere fact that so many of these cases are being reported means that there needs to be stricter regulations on hiring practices.

You can read more about this case here.

The most understandable solution for these organizations would be a combination of more thorough pre-employment background screening and routine rechecks to make sure that nothing is sliding under the radar. In this way, these services would only hire the most qualified candidates while ensuring that they continually comply with company policy.

So the next time you are catching a ride, make sure to check out the front seat. You might be surprised by what you see.

The post Lyft and Uber Drunk Driving Scandal appeared first on Blueline.