The need for drug testing has never been more crucial…and employer liability only increases as society becomes more casual in the acceptance of drug abuse.

Legalization

Now we may not be as laid back as our friends up north who are handing out free drugs to everyone, but more and more places in the US are legalizing drugs. The CDC reported in June 2020 that 13% of adults, age 18 and older, started or increased their substance use as a result of the pandemic. This means that 33.6 million adults began using illicit drugs to cope with emotions related to COVID-19. ODMAP, an overdose reporting system, found that 62% of US counties experienced increased drug overdoses due to the pandemic.

To keep your workplace safe, productive, and drug-free, knowing all your drug testing options is essential. Common drug test types include urine, saliva, and hair testing.

What Should I Test For?

It is essential to know which drugs to screen for. Some commonly abused drugs are:

• Narcotics: includes heroin, fentanyl, morphine, opium, methadone
• Depressants: includes benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methaqualone, quaaludes
• Stimulants: includes cocaine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, methamphetamine
• Hallucinogens: common “club drugs” such as ecstasy, LSD, phencyclidine
• Cannabis: includes marijuana, THC, hashish
• Synthetics: includes spice, bath salts, anabolic steroids

Types Of Testing Available

It is also essential to review your company policy to ensure all your drug testing needs are being met. Blueline offers many different testing options. Our most popular tests are:

• 5 Panel: includes amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and phencyclidine
• 7 Panel: consists of all 5-panel drugs, plus barbiturates and benzodiazepines
• 9 Panel: consists of all 7-panel drugs, plus barbiturates propoxyphene
• 10 Panel: includes all 9-panel drugs, plus methadone and methaqualone
• Popular Add-ons: tramadol, meperidine, fentanyl, spice, bath salts

Knowing which drugs to screen for can be tricky. Luckily, Blueline can help you navigate the right testing configuration for your organization and the proper drug testing policy catered specifically to your needs.

The post It’s Been a While Since Breaking Bad, so Here’s Your Refresher Course on Illegal Drugs appeared first on Blueline.

Proper employment screening is the most effective way for companies to reduce their overall risk and liability. Background checks help ensure a quality hiring decision and save your company time and money. Ban the box policies have tightened the regulations on these screenings.

The background check industry is facing significant challenges. Legislation, known as ban-the-box laws, prohibits employers from asking criminal history questions during the hiring process. These laws are intended to provide applicants with a fair chance at employment by delaying background checks until further along in the hiring process. Ban-the-box policies have been enacted in 36 states and over 150 cities.

HR managers are faced with finding the balance between being liable for negligent hiring and giving applicants with a criminal history a fair chance to be evaluated. Thorough background checks can uncover all the information necessary for employers to make the right decisions in hiring.

Being able to access the full records of a potential employee makes the hiring decision much simpler, with the integrity and safety of the company and its current employees being kept secure. It’s understandable to want to give the ability to individuals with checkered histories the chance to return to the workforce without being labeled. However, in certain roles, it’s also imperative the applicant be forthcoming with any hidden records that may impact the role itself.

Staying within compliance is an ever-growing challenge unto itself in this evolving time, and the team at Blueline is here to make it an easier road to navigate. Let us help you through the entire hiring process, and take you through any testing and reporting that may be required after the hiring work is done.

Blueline’s customizable screening services offer:

• Identity verification
• Criminal record checks
• Driving records checks
• Reference checks
• National database

Let Blueline help you keep external threats from becoming internal threats. We are here to make sure you stay in compliance with all new rules and regulations.

The post Ban the Box? appeared first on Blueline.

Several states changed or updated alcohol and marijuana policy. Here’s the rundown of legislative changes:

• Alabama – Made it illegal to use supplements or synthetic urine to fool drug screens.
• Delaware – Added the treatment of anxiety to the list of qualifying conditions.
• Iowa – Updated their THC limits from 3% to 4.5% per gram for patients. Terminally ill patients may have different levels approved.
• Maryland – Increased amount of marijuana needed to qualify as a criminal offense. Anything under a certain amount is a civil offense.
• New York – Added to its mandatory drug testing pre-employment screenings. Any for-hire drivers that transport 10+ must take a pre-employment drug test. CDL and non-CDL drivers are both required to take pre-employment tests.
• Oklahoma – Funded the start of a marijuana breathalyzer program.
• Utah – Changed workers compensation policy to lower the blood and breath alcohol levels required for employers to take action. The reduced amounts will also determine if a person qualifies for workers’ compensation and disability. Private employers do not have to accommodate medical marijuana use under their drug and alcohol policies.
• Virginia – Some marijuana possession and CBD oils now have a civil penalty instead of a criminal penalty.
• West Virginia – If terminating an employee for violating a company drug and alcohol policy, gross conduct can be brought, negating any indemnity benefits.
• Washington, D.C. – Medical marijuana users cannot be excluded from hiring based on a positive marijuana test. No negative actions can be taken against the employee at work unless they use, are impaired, or possess marijuana in the workplace. Private employers are exempt from this rule.

These regulations were enacted by each states’ legislators. To that extent, this list doesn’t include any states that legalized marijuana or other drugs via ballot measures. As always, make sure to check with your legal department to determine if any of these changes may affect you. Blueline is here to help you navigate through this Rundown of Legislative Changes.

The post A Rundown of Legislative Changes appeared first on Blueline.

The only potential adjustment will be the need for an email address for all applicants/employees (on background checks requested after January 1st, 2020) which will allow Blueline Services to manage the reporting and compliance aspect of the 613 Letter. This notice will go to the applicant or employee at the same time the potentially adverse information is reported to you the employer.

Great Data + Speed + Compliance is the formula for awesome background screening, and we have you covered!

Respectfully,

Blueline Services

The post FCRA Compliance: 613 Letters appeared first on Blueline.

This new act is aimed to help those who haven’t committed serious crimes or who have proven good behavior over the past 10 years. Removal of these records will help these individuals when they are in need of housing, jobs, or education.

Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate act is the first of its kind in the nation to automatically seal certain criminal records via technology.

Please note that if you live in or hire those that have lived in the state of Pennsylvania, this new legislation will impact records that you will receive.

If you have any questions regarding the new law, please contact the court directly for additional details or see the bill here online. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us anytime.

The post Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate Act Now In Effect appeared first on Blueline.

Although it seems that this employee probably didn’t mean any harm and was just goofing off… it certainly has caused some backlash for Wendy’s and cost this young man his job. Mixed reviews have been popping up all over social media about the viral video of a Milton Florida Wendy’s employee bathing in their restaurant sink. A few of the responses have even gotten a bit frosty.

The 90-second video was originally posted to Snapchat last month, then later reposted to Facebook with the comment, “I don’t suggest anyone eating at the Milton Wendy’s again.” The video currently has over 1 million views.

In the video, you can see a young man hopping into the large kitchen sink that is filled with soap and water. His fellow co-workers stand around laughing and filming the scene.

Mike Johnson, who owns this Wendy’s franchise, gave a statement to Pensacola News Journal, “We are taking this incident seriously and it is obviously totally unacceptable. This was a prank by a person who no longer works at this restaurant, and who clearly did not use good judgement. We are taking this opportunity to reinforce our very strict quality procedures with our restaurant team.”

This prank follows a similar video that was posted in 2008 on MySpace of a Burger King employee in Ohio doing the exact same stunt.

Both inspectors from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation visited this Wendy’s location after the incident. The Wendy’s restaurant was able to pass the inspection.

Social media users have been born between being outraged and defending the young man in the video.

“At least he had a pair of shorts on and it is a kitchen skin. I washed my babies in my kitchen skin. I don’t eat out of the sink. So what is the problem,” one Facebook user commented in defense of the incident.

Another more frosty comment stated, “This makes you wonder what else is going on at that restaurant, someone needs to get fired, the sink needs to be sanitized!”

The post Wendy’s Employee Takes A Bath In Restaurant’s Sink appeared first on Blueline.

What does this mean from a background screening perspective?

There are two key details to make note of:

The first major change is that the New York Office of Court Administration (OCA) fees have increased pretty dramatically. The fees for running a New York OCA criminal record search (a.k.a. a statewide search) will increase from $65 to $95.

Any organizations performing this search in New York should account for this rather sizable increase to search fees and adjust accordingly. We wanted to help make sure that our clients were made aware of this impending change as soon as possible. As outlined in the legislation, the intent behind raising the fee is to help increase contributions into the state’s indigent legal services fund. The entirety of the additional $30 will be put towards this defense fund.

The second change is that undisposed cases will no longer be included in criminal history record searches through the NY OCA. Undisposed cases are cases where criminal charges against an individual occurred, but there is no record of a conviction, imposition of any sentence or penalty, or unexecuted warrant of arrest (see full definition here). However, this new provision dealing with unresolved cases will not be implemented for another year.

If you perform background checks in New York and have any questions about how these new changes might affect your current situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Give us a call at 888-919-8378 or email us at backgrounds@blueline-services.com.

The post New York To Drastically Increase OCA Search Fees appeared first on Blueline.

Hydromorphone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone and oxycodone are all being added to the new drug-testing panel.

This means that beginning in 2018, all drivers will now be tested for these four commonly abused opioids. Opioid abuse has risen dramatically in recent years, with drug overdose deaths nearly tripling—a large percentage being attributed to opioids, according to CDC statistics.

“Inclusion of these four semi-synthetic opioids is intended to help address the nationwide epidemic of opioid abuse,” the DOT said in its rulemaking notice which will be officially published in the Federal Register on Monday (11/13).

In addition to these four opioids, the DOT will also remove methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) from the existing drug testing panel and add methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA).

“The opioid crisis is a threat to public safety when it involves safety-sensitive employees involved in the operation of any kind of vehicle or transport,” said Secretary Elaine L. Chao. “The ability to test for a broader range of opioids will advance transportation safety significantly and provide another deterrence to opioid abuse, which will better protect the public and ultimately save lives.”

This ruling will be effective starting January 1, 2018. 

The post Opioid Epidemic brings new DOT drug testing panel appeared first on Blueline.

Here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself:

1) Check Your Accounts: A former Wells Fargo manager, Maged Nashid, recently said in an interview to look for suspicious withdrawals ranging from $25 to $100. AKA the amount needed to open a Wells Fargo checking or savings account.

Clients often barely notice these small charges or don’t want to go through the hassle of filling out forms to get their money back. But these small charges could mean a lot more than simply $25 lost.

2) Ask for a Social Security Inquiry from your Bank: Banks can run a check through their systems based on your name or social security information to help you locate any accounts with your information.

3) Be Wary of Questionable Mail: Mike Feuer, a Los Angeles City Attorney who has filed a civil complaint against Wells Fargo, also opened up in interviews about his thoughts concerning this scam.

He said people should be cautious about credit or debit cards arriving to their home for accounts they have not opened. Any suspicious mail from your bank should be looked into. Don’t just toss it aside!

4) Set Up ACH Filters or Positive Pay: ACH or electronic fund transfers are a common method used by scammers to steal money from bank accounts. Often all that is needed to steal funds in this manner is an account and bank routing number.

However, you can set up ACH protections. These can require such transfers to be pre-authorized or reviewed before being completed and will help protect you. Talk to your bank about setting up these filters and protections.

What’s happening with Wells Fargo now?

Along with firing 5,300 employees who were involved in the scandal, Wells Fargo has made it known that they are trying to switch from a focus on sales quotas to good customer service in order to help rectify this problem. The bank announced that they are going to stop their sales goals altogether beginning January 1st.

L.A. attorney, Feuer, stated that Wells has a long way to go to help fix this problem.

“Clearly the necessity to fire 5,300 employees shows that there is something that needs to change with Wells internal oversight and with its practices generally,” Feuer said in an interview.

Wells Fargo wasn’t just dealing with one #EmployeeFromHell but a whole lot of problems going on inside.

The post Wells Fargo Scam: How To Protect Yourself From Fraud appeared first on Blueline.