EmployeeScreenIQ

The current economic recession, as well as delays in government criminal background checks and new screening procedures, are leaving several port workers without jobs.

The National Employment Law Project recently released a study that found a 2002 law meant to improve security throughout the country's ports has actually resulted in thousands of longshoremen, truck drivers and other employees without jobs for longer than usual.

That law, which was instituted after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is making those workers wait an average of seven months for security credentials that they need to return to their jobs or start new ones.

Between October 2007 and June 2009, more than 1.5 million port workers were required to go through the screening process, which is managed by the federal Transportation Security Administration.

In Baltimore - one of the biggest port areas in the nation - 21,060 workers applied for security clearance, but only 18,617 received and activated their credentials by mid-June.

America isn't the only country that has seen port workers suffer at the hands of background check requirements. Officials in Canada recently amped up their security measures for port workers.

A new deal between the federal Department of Transport and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is aimed at eliminating organized crime operatives from restricted areas and improving security for passengers and cargo traveling throughout Canada.

The measures will allow the RCMP to run names of employees seeking security passes in restricted areas through 10 different databases, which include information about complaints, victims, suspects and other criminal intelligence. Also as part of the background checks, authorities will have access to an Interpol database with police information from 187 member countries.

Labels: Criminal background checks

A new proposal could make it easier for nonprofit groups to conduct background checks.

Sen. Charles Schumer has created a federal bill that, if passed, would make it easier for nonprofit groups that serve children to check the backgrounds of workers and volunteers. The service would cost as little as $25 and would be free to groups who can prove financial hardship.

The bill would close a legal loophole and allow groups to access FBI records through a new one-stop clearinghouse, according to an article by Newsday. For instance, currently in New York, if job applicants or volunteers at nonprofit agencies have been convicted of a sex crime or other offense in another state, it might not show up on New York state records.

Officials have said this bill is improved and different from a previous bill of the same nature that has already been proposed. Both bills are called the Child Protection Improvement Act of 2009.

The previously proposed bill would create a nationally-accessible background check system for youth-serving organizations. The legislation is based on a successful pilot program that makes it easier for groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Boys & Girls Clubs to perform fast, accurate and affordable background checks on potential volunteers and employees.

The existing program performed more than 37,000 FBI fingerprint background checks from 2003 to 2008. In 6.1 percent of cases, more than 2,000 potential volunteers had criminal records of concern.

That bill also would keep the program affordable for small non-profit organizations. It includes protections for the privacy of volunteers to help keep criminal histories private and the opportunity to correct any errors on their record.

"It is absurd that it is impossible for many organizations to get access to background check data that will keep children safe," Schumer said in the article "As a parent myself, I know why it is essential that we pass this bill. "Then we will all be able to rest easier knowing that our children are in good hands when we drop them off at a camp or after-school program."

Labels: Background checks

Should your health information be considered public record and therefore available to any potential employer conducting a background check on you?

There has been some concern lately as to whether or not personal health records available online are as secure as they should be. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, information contained in these records aren't always private, despite claims from host sites.

Several people have begun using a personal health record, or a tool for collecting, tracking and sharing your health information. Most PHRs are Internet-based and allow the patient to create, review and maintain the record.

While PHRs are great resources for both patients and health care providers, unsecured versions may do more harm than good. If an employer stumbles upon these records while conducting a background check, it could deter their decision to hire you. However, making hiring decisions based on certain medical conditions is a serious faux pas.

PHRs can include information pertaining to medications, illnesses and hospitalizations, surgeries and other procedures, vaccinations, laboratory test results, family medical history and allergies. Some PHRs also provide the ability to check drug interaction and network with other patients and medical providers.

Some PHRs are offered by hosting sites, which may cost money, while others are offered by health care providers or hospitals. Other online companies, like Google and Microsoft, offer them at no charge. Some popular PHRs are Microsoft's HealthVault, Google Health, Revolution health and WebMD.

Some PHRs are covered under the HIPAA privacy rule, meaning they can't be available for public consumption. But others are sponsored by third parties and not necessarily protected for privacy. Because of this, it's important to familiarize yourself with the host site's privacy policies.

Labels: Public records

What can employers and job seekers expect in the way of background checks during 2010?

Background checks are pretty much commonplace in today's working world. They help employers be sure they're getting the best candidate possible and help job seekers prove they are who they say they are.

EmployeeScreenIQ recently released its annual list of background check trends for next year. The trends are designed to equip hiring professionals with advance information on crucial screening topics before they become everyday news.

A brief list of the trends include:

• Greater hiring controversies due to social networking.
• Contractor and PEO background checks rise in importance as temporary labor gains widespread use.
• Increased hiring throughout the year.
• Fewer employers will respond to requests for resume verifications.
• As job seekers become more desperate to regain employment, resume falsification and diploma mills will increase in use.
• A greater "blind" dependence on the FBI criminal database - despite the reality that it's not fully effective.
• Controversies over increasing attempts to enact privacy laws, redacting social security numbers and other background information from court records.
• Increased state legislation aimed at discriminatory use of credit reports.
• Screening providers will achieve industry accreditation.
• Litigation will increase over perceived discrimination in screening and hiring decisions.

"We're often asked by clients what elements of a background check deserve the most attention," President and CEO Jason Morris said. "The answer is, review everything. Every organization is unique in their hiring needs and practices. Every individual that you consider for employment should be judged on their own merit, strengths and weaknesses, by someone in the hiring organization that can consider the complete individual.

Labels: Background check