Criminal Background Checks

How does an employer know if their employees have been arrested or convicted of a crime while on the job? The truth is, unless employers run recurring criminal history checks post-hire, they simply won’t know. 

Although not a novel concept, the practice of continuous, constant background screening has recently gained momentum among employers.

There are many reasons why it’s important for employers to use a background screening provider accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). From quality assurance to an ongoing commitment to industry standards, partnering with an NAPBS-accredited firm ensures your organization is served by a partner that protects your data and keeps you informed of essential compliance requirements.

Selecting a talent screening partner is a challenging decision-making process for any business, but it is an even more significant decision for healthcare organizations. A thorough background screening program not only supports a healthcare compliance program, it can also impact patient safety.

The background screening industry offers healthcare employers no shortage of options for employment screening vendors. As someone who has been part of the decision-making process for my share of company initiatives, I can understand how this can be a daunting process.

What happens to a person’s information such as their Social Security Number (SSN) once they’ve passed away? In 1980, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) developed an electronic database called the Death Master File (DMF), or sometimes referred to as the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), which currently contains over 85 million Social Security records of deceased individuals issued since 1936.

Background check compliance continues to be a hot topic moving through 2018. From increased class-action lawsuits to data breaches affecting millions, it’s critical that employers exercise their proper due diligence to safeguard their organization and the reputation they must uphold.

Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1008 into law on October 14^, 2017, expanding a section of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to restrict employers’ ability to make pre-hire and employment decisions based on an individual’s criminal history. California’s Ban the Box law is effective January 1, 2018.

AB 1008 applies to all employers in California with five or more employees and restricts affected employers from:

While most healthcare employers conduct background checks on new hires, it can also be a component that can increase the time to fill for talent acquisition. While human resources departments have traditionally been viewed as cost centers, focusing on improving metrics such as time to fill that can demonstrate improved return on investment can change this perception. Since shorter background check turnaround times can contribute to improved results and cost reduction, we compiled this list of ways you can approach this critical component of the hiring process.

Background screening has become increasingly important in today’s competitive, complex and security-minded labor marketplace. Not only must organizations navigate an ever-evolving patchwork of federal and state regulations, they must cope with an emerging “gig economy” characterized by growing numbers of short-term contract and freelance employees.

The healthcare industry is one of the most complex and highly regulated, which means employers have a greater responsibility to ensure a safe workplace environment not just for their own staff, but also for patients. The past decade has seen advancements in technology and best practices for the industry, with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) placing greater emphasis on quality of care and patient safety. Industry regulators have provided updated guidance and newer technologies have allowed leading organizations and systems to improve the efficiency of their screening efforts.