Does your company have a recommendation policy for social media sites?

Many employers have a policy in place that deals with the kind of professional recommendations or references that employees are allowed to give for co-workers, vendors or former colleagues. But are you aware of the recommendations and references your employees are giving each other, your products and even your company on social media sites?

Professional social media sites like LinkedIn make it easy for those who use the site to post recommendations on the profile pages of their colleagues and vendors. The question is, could any of these online unsanctioned references cause your company any legal troubles down the line? Are you sure all employees are following Federal Trace Commission guidelines on the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising? For instance, are they disclosing their affiliation with a company while endorsing its products? If they’re endorsing a product or company anonymously, you could be liable for their misstep in not following the FTC’s guidelines. 

Employers should consider taking several steps to avoid such troubles. Employers should amend their written social media policies or reference policies to address unauthorized employee recommendations and references on social media sites. This might include the banning of such recommendations and references, although such stringent rules might be counterproductive to those who are asked to promote their business through social media outlets. Whatever you decide, make sure the new policy is distributed to every employee and spelled out so they know exactly what is and is not acceptable.

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A policy of performing background checks is useless unless it’s followed

Colleges large and small continue to be rocked by news of former and current coaches and teachers molesting the children under their care. Penn State University, Syracuse University, and now The Citadel in Charleston all have made headlines in recent weeks when charges were brought against their former or current staff members. Last week the case against former high school tennis coach Louis “Skip” ReVille of Charleston, charged initially with molesting several boys, was widened to The Citadel, where ReVille supervised boys in a summer tennis camp. One former camper has accused ReVille of showing boys pornography and performing sexual acts in their presence.

Perhaps the scariest announcement came from the Diocese of Charleston, which hired ReVille in 2008 to coach tennis at Bishop England High School. The diocese recently admitted that although they’ve had a policy in place since 2003 requiring all employees and volunteers who work with children to undergo a background check, no such check was performed on ReVille before he was hired.

The story makes clear the point that it is not enough to merely have a background check policy in place, you must follow through and perform said background checks, including a look at someone’s criminal record and searching for them in sex offender registries — every single time, no exceptions. A policy is just a useless piece of paper if it isn’t followed. And there is much more than legal trouble at stake.

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California latest state to say pre-employment credit checks not OK in most cases

California has become the latest state to ban credit checks during the pre-employment screening process, a move that proponents say will help those down on their luck get jobs based on their merit without having to account for their recent hard times.

Exceptions to the new rule, put forth in Assembly Bill 22 by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, include jobs in the state’s Department of Justice and law enforcement, managerial positions, and those that control $10,000 or more during their workday. Also, employers can still conduct background checks of prospective hires.

California joins Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon and Washington as states that have imposed pre-employment credit check bans. Similar legislation has been proposed or is pending in 28 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Several business groups are opposed to the new law, saying it makes employers vulnerable to theft and fraud from their own employees. But those in favor of the law say credit checks unfairly cull candidates who are fully qualified but whose credit scores were damaged by layoffs, foreclosures and other financial hardships.

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Institute checks and balances to lessen risk of internal fraud

The higher up the ladder, the farther someone has to fall — and the more damage they can do on the way down. When employers consider using some type of employment screening process, it is often targeted toward prospective employees in lower-level jobs, where the fear of a criminal record or a history of drug use might be at play. But executives in higher-level positions can have just as many skeletons in their closet, and they are often given the keys to the company’s assets on a far greater scale than those in the mail room.

The threat of high-level executives committing fraud is a real one, and it’s something that should be considered and checked out before anyone is given a contract or job offer. There are a few checks and balances your company should employ, to alleviate your risk of an employee committing fraud.

1. Create a culture that instills ethical business practices and honesty on every level. No one should be — or be perceived to be — above or beyond these rules.
2. Do your homework during the hiring process by conducting a thorough background check on all employees at every level. Again, nobody should be exempt from this process.
3. Have an airtight system of internal checks and balances in place to be able to detect fraud at its earliest point and stop it in its tracks. For example, business processes like recording sales, billing customers, collecting customer payments and updating customer accounts should be divided between several people. That way someone is sure to come across any differences in account amounts or information

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Majority of retailers surveyed conduct background checks

A recent survey by the National Retail Federation has found that nearly all of the country’s leading department stores, grocery stores, large drug stores, discount stores and restaurants surveyed — a whopping 96.6 percent — use some form of background screening during the application, hiring and employment process.

This includes pre-employment screening on senior executives, store associates, and particularly those in customer service. The survey also showed that retailers are concerned over potentially new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines that would “Ban the Box” – a term referring to the box asking about criminal history seen on most application forms – and prevent businesses from asking job applicants about their criminal history during the application and pre-employment process. Twenty-eight cities and counties across the country have “banned the box,” no longer asking potential employees whether they have any felony convictions.

The survey also found retailers conduct post-employment screening at a high rate on store associates, store management, and distribution center employees. The most common type of background check is the criminal history check, followed by the Social Security Number trace, and a check of the applicant’s sex offender status.

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Don’t Overlook College When Delving Into Candidate’s Past

Most reputable employment screening companies will go back seven years to delve into an applicant’s past. While that’s helpful, it’s not always complete. That means if a candidate has been out of college for more than seven years, chances are the company might not check out their educational credentials.

But that is one thing every employer should check, from the entry-level position to the top level executive. Despite the trend toward third-party employment screening, a lot of people still inflate their resumés. In 2006, it was revealed that RadioShack's CEO David Edmondson had lied about his education. On his resumé he claimed to have two degrees, when he in fact had none. And Bausch & Lomb's former CEO Ronald Zarrella claimed he had a MBA from New York University, but it was later uncovered that he had never finished the program.

It’s a good idea to check into the applicant’s educational background, to verify their degree, GPA and the applicant’s supposed honors, awards and society memberships.

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Don’t Get Complacent: Do Your Homework Every Time

When a landlord goes through a string of exceptional tenants, it’s easy to get complacent with the entire tenant screening process. It’s easy to start to believe that most, if not all, tenants are trustworthy, hardworking, honest folks who just need a good temporary place to call home. It’s natural to fall into the trap of believing you have an eye for figuring out which applicant will make a great tenant, and who will not.

But when a landlord gets overly confident in his or her “gut instinct,” that’s when trouble arises. That’s when a thorough tenant screening begins to slide into a much more casual routine of checking a few references and calling the applicant’s employer.

If you are one of those landlords, it’s time for a wake-up call. The harsh reality is that problem tenants do exist. There are people out there who are looking for someone vulnerable enough to fall for their lies, trust them, and offer them a place to live. There are people who will destroy your property, rack up bills and never pay them, skip out on rent, and possibly put their neighbors and yourself in danger because of their criminal histories.

Don’t let protocol slide when it comes to tenant screening. Be as diligent with your latest tenant’s application process as you were with the very first tenant you ever signed to a lease. Don’t just check their references, check their previous evictions. Check their credit report. Consider their criminal record. Do your homework, every time, regardless of your instincts. It’s way better to be safe than sorry.

For more information on tenant screening, visit:  http://www.alwaysscreen.com/

Avoid Online Job Postings That Sound Like a Scam

Online job postings are the norm and have been for many years now. As with anything, scammers are out there trying to swindle money from honest folks who believe what they read on the Internet and trust “employers” they’ve never met.

According to the Better Business Bureau, employment listing scams sometimes involve the so-called employer asking for payment to run a background check on the job applicant. The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas recently uncovered a scam where job applicants were told they had to pay $64.50 for a background check before they could be considered for a cleaning job. But after paying for the employment screening, the job hunter never heard back from the company.

Job seekers should never submit their bank account information, credit card information, or Social Security number over the phone or email. As an employer, you should disclose that pre-employment screening will be part of the application process, but never put job seekers in the position to question the validity of your job listing by asking for personal information or payment of any kind.

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When It Comes to Background Checks, You Get What You Pay For

A controversial iPhone app for personal background checks that was initially pulled by Apple is back on the market. It’s just one of several mobile phone apps and online services that give anyone the ability to pull criminal records and other personal information about whoever they choose, from a neighbor to a potential date to a job applicant.

While the ability to receive background information on someone instantly may be enticing, using such services is not recommended for employers to use as an alternative to pre-employment screening services. Hiring a professional employment screening service ensures an employer that his or her applicants will be thoroughly screened and that the details found during the background check process will be verified and interpreted by trained professionals. A reputable employment screening service will be able to customize the kind of background screening you need depending on the job description and pool of applicants. That kind of attention to detail and customer service is not available through any app or cheap online service.

If you’re an employer, you need to know that your staff members are all qualified to do their jobs and they do not pose any safety or liability risks to your business. The old adage “You get what you pay for” definitely applies to the background screening process. Find a professional service with a proven track record — your employees will thank you and your business will reap the benefits of such careful selection.

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Make Sure Your Work Staff is Clean and Sober

If you’ve considered doing pre-employment drug testing, or implementing random drug testing for current employees, there is much to learn about the process. First of all, there is not one standard drug test. A reputable employment screening service will have several types of drug testing services to suit your specific needs. A sampling may include:

• Drug Test - 5 Panel: This is the most commonly used drug test and tests for amphetamines (crystal meth), cannabinoids (THC and marijuana), cocaine, opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin, Oxycodine, Vidcodin, etc.) and phencyclidine (PCP).
• Drug Test - 10 Panel: In addition to the 5 panel, this test includes a check for barbiturates, benzodianzepines, methadone, methaqualone, and propoxyphene.
• Alcohol Test: This regulated breathalyzer determines an individual’s breath alcohol level.

In addition to drug testing, there are also various pre-employment physical exams available from some full-service pre-employment screening services, so find out what types of medical tests are appropriate and necessary for your specific business needs and make sure your pre-employment screening package is tailored to include everything you need to ensure your company’s staff is healthy, safe and ready to work!

Even Temporary Summertime Employees Should Be Screened

Summer is the time of vacations, workplace turnover and temporary positions. Tourism and hospitality industries see a lot of transient workers pass through its businesses, as temporary and part-time employees swell the ranks to fill holes in schedules and make up for the increased demand.

While all that shifting and adding to the workforce is just a part of life for many businesses, it shouldn’t come at the expense of keeping everyone safe and keeping your business free from liability risks. Some employers may be tempted to skirt the usual protocol of conducting pre-employment background checks, rationalizing that these workers will only be here a few months so why bother with the expense and hassle? But that’s a dangerous decision to make.

It’s a good idea to do a criminal background check on all job applicants who pass the initial interview and application process. Employment screening companies will work with employers to comply with federal and state laws and recommend the types of pre-employment screening necessary based upon the job’s requirements. Remember that some seasonal employees may become full-time staff, so it’s best to have all the background information available for all employees in order to make the most informed decision about someone’s future employment.

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Is Checking Social Media Sites the Next Wave in Pre-employment Screening?

Last week the Federal Trade Commission decided to stop investigating a start-up company that searches social media and other websites to perform background checks on potential (and current) employees.

The government has decided that as long as the company complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act by telling applicants if something that was found in their employment background check resulted in them not being hired.

This is potentially big news in the pre-employment screening industry, as it could signal the future of background checks may include an element that delves into personal information shared on social media websites and other online outlets.

There could be a slippery slope there of what some employers would want to find out about a potential employee’s personal life, and whether knowing such things as sexual orientation or religious preferences could taint an employer’s view of the applicant, or even hurt their chances of being hired.

It’s true that many employers already check out applicants’ Facebook and Myspace pages and perform other cursory Google searches to find out whatever they can about a potential employee. Stay tuned for more as this trend possibly develops into something more…

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Legality of Using of Credit Scores During Hiring Could Change

Times are tough out there for many hard-working Americans, and credit scores across the country are suffering because of the economic slump. Many people who waded through months or more of unemployment or underemployment, and saw their credit suffer as a result of their decreased income, are now facing an uphill battle scoring better jobs that would help them get back on track financially and increase their credit scores BECAUSE of their less-than-stellar credit reports. This is because so many employers have been using a credit check as part of the background check criteria during the hiring process.

But now lawmakers across the country are trying to change that by introducing bills that would restrict the use of credit reports when determining whether to hire workers. For example, California lawmakers recently voted to block employers from using consumer credit reports during the hiring process. If signed into law, the bill would stop the use of credit checks in hiring, except for managers, law enforcement, financial jobs and certain other positions that handle valuable items or information.

In addition to states like Hawaii, Illinois and Maryland enacting laws that limit the use of credit histories by potential employers, Congress is working on the Equal Employment for All Act that would prohibit the use of credit report information in most employment decisions. The act could change the face of hiring across the board when it comes to the use of credit reports, so employers should stay tuned to make sure their hiring processes remain in compliance with state and federal law.

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