As an employer you understand that it is wise to undertake pre-employment screening on potential employees, but those same potential employees have rights. As the employer, you have to abide by the rules of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). We are an FCRA compliant background check company.
It’s tough being an employer in the 21st century. You run a business, you have to hire employees, create an effective training program for your employees to help them learn and develop, yet if you take them at face value and work on your own gut instincts you can get yourself into a lot of trouble with the law if you get things wrong.
There are so many rules and regulations surrounding employment in the 21st century that it is sometimes difficult for many employers fully to understand them all. This is because the level of knowledge needed for jobs has never been this high so while employers are scrutinizing every part of what an applicant has submitted – whether that’s looking at their query letter format or previous experience – it’s only fair that the employers are held to this same level of scrutiny to ensure everyone is being treated fairly.
If you are not an HR manager engaged in hiring on a day-to-day basis, but simply run a small business with a need to hire a new employee only now and again, then it is very likely that you will not be fully conversant with every aspect of the law. It is very easy to make a mistake. For this reason, some small businesses may choose to outsource the hiring of employees or use the services of a local employee leasing company to find qualified and suitable employees for whatever position is needed.
Employers and hiring managers face a tougher situation than ever. First of all, after the tragic events of 9/11, both government agencies and private employers face more scrutiny and more risks vis-à-vis employee behavior. Everyone is, quite simply, more aware of security issues. Second, the United States is an increasingly litigious society, and employers face all sorts of legal liabilities both vis-à-vis their customers and even their employees. Third, employee theft remains a problem, and with the advent of cyber security and cyber crimes, one must worry about those employees with access to computer and financial records.