Uber and Lyft drivers, truck drivers, delivery drivers, elderly transporters, chauffeur/limo/bus drivers—whether employees or subcontractors—all need an extensive and professional pre-employment background check.

This will ensure the safety of the driver, their passengers, and your company. With regard to your company, huge lawsuits and even company shutdown are possible if you do not do your due diligence in this area.

Avoid Lawsuits and Damage to Your Reputation

The sex assaults at the hands of Uber drivers have been much publicized. CNN puts the number of U.S. Uber drivers accused of assaulting passengers at 103. Lawsuits and irreparable bad publicity are often the consequences of such incidents. There are things you can do to prevent a tragic situation like this from happening with one of your drivers.

A Typical Employee Background Check

Typical employee background checks include identity verification, employment verification, credit history, driver’s history, criminal records, education confirmation, and possibly more. But generally, these checks only go back 7 years (sometimes 10) in the state or surrounding states of planned employment.

A More Extensive Check for Drivers

It is important to check nationally, especially for driving records and criminal offenses, as applicants may have offenses in other states, especially sex offenders and pedophiles who tend to relocate often.

Also, references and past employers need to be contacted regarding infractions that may not have been reported, e.g., the employee was simply fired and charges were not pressed. A professional pre-employment background checking firm is required to do such extensive investigations while staying within the law regarding employee rights.

“Continuous” Background Checks

A new practice in the world of employee background checks is the use of “continuous” background checks, done periodically after a person is employed. In an article by Karissa Bell for Mashable, “Uber Drivers Are Now Subject to ‘Continuous Background Checks,’ she talks about Uber’s new plan for continuous monitoring of its drivers.

The program is set up so that the company will be notified as soon as a driver is charged with a new offense, and will include felonies, violent crimes, and sexual offenses. Only implemented in July 2018, 25 drivers have already been removed as a result of the system. (This type of monitoring is also starting to be used in the medical, hospitality, and other industries to increase safety and prevent tragedy.)

Why Choose The Hire Authority for Your Background Screening?

Be safe, not sorry. At The Hire Authority we are thorough in our screening, which guarantees that you will receive information that is current and relevant. We care about your security and we will work to keep you safe from harm or unnecessary problems.

We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and give you a quote. Call (508) 230-5901 or visit our website www.hireauth.com.

The foregoing should not be construed as legal advice. Employers should always consult their own legal counsel for advice on labor and employment matters.