INSIDE BACKGROUND SCREENING
Addressing Back- ground Screening Policies in Light of Recent EEOC Guidance
By: Rob Pickell, Sr VP, Customer Solutions, HireRight
Many employers in the United States may currently be struggling to understand the implications of recent revised guidance from the Equal Employment Opportu- nity Commission (EEOC) regarding the use of criminal background checks in the hiring process. The EEOC guidance has prompted most to consider a thorough review -- or perhaps even a revision -- of their screening policies and programs. But before employers take too many steps toward a complete overhaul of their policies, it is helpful to remember the importance of criminal background checks in creating a safer and more secure workplace.
Unfortunately, workplace violence remains a real issue for U.S. employers. In fact, nearly 5 percent of American workplaces annually experience such an episode. And when workplace violence does occur, it can be devastat- ing, and not just because of immediate effects like injury or loss of life. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of those workplaces that have experienced an incident of violence, more than 35 percent stated it had negatively affected their employees with consequences such as lowered morale, increased levels of fear among staff, higher rates of absenteeism and decreased productivity.
Employers have historically used criminal background checks as one key element of a comprehensive approach to the prevention of workplace violence. After all, it is a regrettable reality that not all violent incidents are perpetrated by strangers; for example, approximately a fifth of all workplace homicides between 2005 and 2009 were committed by work associates. Screening for criminal records helps employers identify applicants with histories of violence and other relevant offenses, allowing them to make more informed decisions about whether to hire these individuals. As a result, using criminal background checks to make educated employ- ment decisions has become a widely accepted practice in the United States – according to a poll by the Society for Human Resource Management,approximately 73 percent of employers utilize them.
4 To read more, click here
3rd International Conference on Violence in the Health Sector, Vancouver, Canada, 24 – 26 October 2012, click here
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SPECIAL SURVEY QUESTION:
On April 25th the EEOC announced New Guidance on the use of criminal background checks for employment purposes. We would like to know what changes, if any, your organization is taking as result of the New Guid- ance? Please select one of the following:
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I am not aware of the EEOC New Guidance require- ments
We are not planning on changing our background screening process regarding use of criminal background checks as a result of the EEOC New Guidance issued on April 25th
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We are currently reviewing the New Guidance to deter- mine if changes are necessary
We have decided to discontinue conducting criminal background checks
We are going to reduce the level of criminal background checks we conduct and only use them for specific jobs where they have direct relevance to the performance of an essential job requirement
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We are developing an targeted screening approach and individualized assessment process as recommended in the New Guidance
Other action you are planning too take not covered in any of the above statements
Your comments are being submitted anonymously with no identifiers. We will report the results in the next edition.
Click here to take the survey
CALENDAR OF
EVENTS Association of Threat Assessment Professionals
2012 (ATAP) Annual Threat Management Conference, Aug 13th - 18th, Anaheim, CA, click here
2012 Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professional (CATAP), September 24 – 28, click here
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