The Hire Authority Wishes You a
Happy & Productive 2022!

 

We’d like to start the new year with an excellent, although tragic, example of why an employee background check is not just a nice thing to do BUT IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY. The following could happen at any school or business that does not adhere to appropriate employee background check procedures.

According to Jason King, a News Reporter for WCVB5, an ABC affiliate, court documents state that a former Timberlane High School teacher who is accused of inappropriately touching students and charged with sexual assault was let go from another New Hampshire school for similar complaints. (Reported on December 30, 2021.) Timberlane High School is in Plaistow, NH just over the MA border.

David Russell, 63, of Bedford, NH, was charged with two counts of simple assault and one count of misdemeanor sexual assault after a lengthy investigation. According to the police report, the alleged victim is a female teenage student.

Court documents say that Russell had previously been let go from the Nashua School District after he was accused of touching young female students and thinking it was OK to give them therapeutic massages.

The human resources director for the Timberlane Regional School District told police that for Russell’s background check, they did not call his previous employers but only his references and ran his fingerprints. Russell had also been let go from the North Andover, MA and Nashua, NH School Districts after similar complaints.

Had the school done a comprehensive employee background check, this person would never have been hired and this incident would not have occurred, not to mention harm to the school’s reputation and the possibility of costly lawsuits. A similar incident could happen in any school or business.

So, What DOES Constitute a Good
Employee Background Check?

A thorough employee background check should include the following:

• Misdemeanor and felony criminal records searches at the county, state and national levels (international also, if necessary)
• Sex-offender status searches
• Social Security number traces and validations
• Employment and education verifications
• Professional license verifications
• Checks on references, credit reports, civil records, driver’s license and motor vehicle records
• Military records verifications
• Workers’ compensation history searches
• Healthcare sanction checks
• Address history checks

In Addition, Employers Should Know About These Top Background Check Trends Impacting HR Professionals
in 2022.

According to an SHRM blog, some of these are:

• A rise in continuous monitoring

More and more companies are relying on continuous screening. This may be, in part, due to the massive shift to a remote work model, providing companies less visibility to the actions and conduct of their employees. Where permitted by law, it can provide immediate alerts of employee conduct, such as arrests, convictions, changes in motor vehicle records, accidents or misconduct, medical sanctions, license status, and much more that may have occurred after the initial pre-hire background check.

• Careful use of criminal records

Now, the automatic disqualification of applicants with a criminal record can be discriminatory under the EEOC guidance and violate Ban the Box and Fair Chance hiring laws.

• Social media background checks

Many of the risks posed by employees, especially as they relate to their online behavior, could have an outsized impact, including damage to brand, culture, and employee safety. This online behavior doesn’t always show through traditional background screening methods like criminal checks, credit, employment verification, and drug screenings.

• Freelancers Need Screenings, Too

With the increase in contract work because of COVID, one trend we are continuing to see is the increased propensity of screenings for part-time employees and freelancers. As these employees have access to sensitive company information, their past and current behavior can be detrimental to the company. A thorough employee background check can help employers avoid an unfortunate incident.

• Delays in background checks—start them early

Prior to COVID, background checks (including police checks) would in most cases be back within a week. Now we are experiencing significant delays, particularly in police checks and qualification checks.

It is recommended that HR professionals start the checks on the top three candidates as soon as they are identified. Although it might cost your company a little extra, having to wait a month and delaying a candidate’s start date will affect productivity more. Or even worse, to hire a candidate without a complete background check could put your company and your employees at risk.

Why Choose The Hire Authority for Employee Background Screening?

At The Hire Authority we are experienced, professional, and thorough in our screening, which guarantees that you will receive information that is current and relevant. We also are experts in compliance with state, federal, and county laws that you do not want to violate and be subject to hefty fines or worse. We care about your security, and we will work with you to keep you safe from harm or unnecessary problems. Be safe, not sorry.

We’d be happy to talk to you about screening your employees. Call us at

(508) 230-5901 or visit our website www.hireauth.com with any questions you may have.

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