PLEASE NOTE: The Hire Authority will be conducting business throughout the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis. Our internal office is staffed with both owners and essential personnel and we also have remote staff workers, so our product (employment screening background checks) will continue without interruption. Some industries will see an update in the need for our services, (employment screening), while some will suffer, but we will continue to be available to any and all that have a need. —  Phil Sharkey, PBSA, LPDAM, The Hire Authority, Inc. (508) 230-5901 psharkey@hireauth.com / www.hireauth.com

Healthcare Industry Under Pressure
to Hire Additional Staff

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the healthcare industry is overwhelmed and under pressure to hire additional staff—doctors, nurses, and aides to deal with hospitalized and quarantined patients, technicians to handle testing and lab work, even hospital, nursing home, and rehab maintenance staff to disinfect areas in addition to their usual maintenance duties. EMTs and paramedics are also in need of more trained staff to transport people to the ER. All of this means swift hiring of staff because of the swift spread of this new virus.

Professional Pre-Employment Screening
Is More Important than Ever

Amidst the hiring frenzy, one thing should not be rushed: professional pre-employment screening. Otherwise, this pandemic is the perfect opportunity for undesirable healthcare employees to slip through the cracks and wreak havoc on your facility and bring danger to your patients.

So What Are Some of Our Recommendations
during this Time?

In addition to the usual pre-employment screening, healthcare facilities—as well as ALL businesses—want to make sure that whoever is hired (or already employed) does not have COVID-19. But is it lawful to check for this? According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), it is.

Taken from Schiff Hardin’s Employment Law Landscape:

“According to the agency [EEOC], employers can take the following actions without running afoul of the ADA or Rehabilitation Act:

• Ask employees if they are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus—for COVID-19, these include symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat—so long as they keep the information confidential in compliance with the ADA
• Take employee body temperatures (although EEOC cautions that some people with COVID-19 do not have a fever)
• Require employees to stay home if they have symptoms of
  COVID-19
• Require employees who are returning to work to supply doctors’ notes certifying their fitness for duty (although EEOC cautions such a requirement may not be practical, as health care providers may be too busy to supply certifications)
• Screen job applicants for symptoms of COVID-19 after making a conditional job offer, so long as the employer does so for all entering employees in the same type of job
• Delay the start date of a job applicant who has COVID-19 or symptoms
• Withdraw a job offer when it needs the applicant to start immediately, but the individual cannot safely start work due to COVID-19 symptoms”

But a medical facility must also make sure, as always, that a potential employee won’t steal drugs, come to work hung over, drive intoxicated, steal from patients, or commit a sex offense, not to mention their being unqualified or unlicensed to perform the job.

So, a thorough pre-employment background check should always be done. This should include: a license check; a criminal background check; a credit check; and an exclusion screening check that looks for individuals with no criminal history but who have been excluded from participation in federal and/or state healthcare programs due to narcotics addiction, defaulting on a student loan, or other reason. Education and references should also be checked.

Failure to do a thorough employee background check may result in litigation, bad publicity, or fines, in addition to the dangers listed above. It’s important that this check be done by a professional with experience in background checks and with corresponding privacy laws, a professional who will avoid your breaking the law by asking inappropriate questions or refusing employment unlawfully.

We hope this information will help you to deal with these uncertain times of COVID-19. Feel free to contact us for help with your employee screening so you can rest assured that you’ve done everything possible to hire the best staff.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To find out everything you need to know about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) please click this link to the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

The CDC site provides all the latest information about symptoms and how to protect yourself, as well as sections for businesses, healthcare professionals, schools, U.S. locations where the virus is most predominant, and more.

Why Choose The Hire Authority for
Your Background Screening?

As you can see, employee background checks for healthcare facilities are complex. They must be done by a professional, experienced, and expert team that has kept up with recent legislation and regulation specific to this industry.

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.