Employee Criminal Background Checks
Many companies today are ordering employee criminal background checks before they hire new employees. This is relatively easy to do, thanks to many services that appear on the internet as well as modern technology. A company must have the permission of the prospective employees to do employee criminal background checks.
In addition to doing employee criminal background checks, some employers are looking into the financial status of prospective employees. This includes doing a credit check on a prospect. Many people feel that this is unfair as they may have erroneous credit reports, although it is in the discretion of private companies to hire whom they please when it comes to matters that they feel might affect their personâs employment with the company.
Years ago, employees simply did reference checks. This involved letters written to people who would testify to the good character of the individual applying for employment. Letters of reference were something that many employers looked for and were considered to be more valid if they came from a recent employer, a professional individual such as a teacher, attorney or even a doctor. Employees who apply for jobs are often asked to cite three references who have known them for a long period of time on their employment applications.
However, many people would lie about their references and the popularity of cell phones also allowed some to give themselves as well as family members as their reference for employment. Many employers were finding that they were not only hiring people who were not truthful on their applications, but had a criminal record which was not disclosed.
Newer technology has made it easy and inexpensive for employers today to do employee criminal background checks and most employers are finding that it is well worth the $50 that they have to spend to do this background check in order to make sure that their new employee is not going to steal money from them or harm other employees.
There are some people who say that employee criminal background checks are an invasion of privacy. However, some state have passed laws that mandate that these background checks are used if the employee will be working in a school. These employee criminal background checks protect the employer from lawsuits stemming from hiring a known felon to look after children. Private employers can still perform employee criminal background checks at their own discretion.