The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) conducts background checks on people who want to own a firearm or explosive, as required by law. Because this system is different from standard criminal background checks, there is a lot of interest in understanding how NICS works. What is the National Instant Criminal Background Check System?…
Criminal actions that result in felony and misdemeanor convictions can impact a person’s life for years to come. As a result, clean slate laws are becoming more common as lawmakers and criminal justice advocates try to balance accountability for past criminal actions with a desire to help rehabilitation. There are two sides to the argument…
Fair hiring laws are often referred to as ‘Ban-the-Box’ or fair-chance hiring laws. These laws require employers to remove questions on job applications that ask whether the candidate has ever been convicted of a crime. These questions frequently only have a yes or no option and do not allow the applicant to provide any additional…
Background checks are a standard part of the modern-day hiring process. According to the National Association of Professional Background Screeners, 96% of today’s companies conduct background investigations on at least some of their employees. For a good reason – employers experience many benefits when conducting comprehensive background checks, such as: Reducing the risk of illegal…
With an incredibly dynamic job market right now, many job seekers and employers are trying to better understand the pre-employment screening processes. One component of this screening is a criminal background check, a standard element that many prospective employees must go through. As a result, many may question how far do criminal background checks extend…
Running a background check on prospective tenants is one of the most important things you can do as a property manager. Finding the right tenants is essential in creating a sustainable and profitable business model. And background checks can be a useful tool in identifying credible renters. There are many legal aspects related to conducting…
When discussing background checks, most people associate them with a diligent process of making phone calls and reviewing files manually. However, these background checks occur faster than ever before with Artificial Intelligence integration and with little manual work. And this type of integration can benefit the shipping industry by ensuring that drivers and other workers…
Cybercrime is a very real threat to many organizations. We are constantly bombarded with news stories of businesses that suffered data breaches, the majority of which originate with employees. While many of these cases are from employees who inadvertently introduce risk, there are some instances where the crime is intentional. Two examples include: An engineer at…
The unemployment rate is on the decline. This downward trend has been present since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when unemployment peaked at around 15%. While the current rate isn’t as low as it was pre-pandemic, it is close. A recent survey found that nearly 90% of employers are struggling to fill open positions….
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that requires employers to make specific disclosures to employees or job applicants related to the information they will obtain and use during the hiring process, including a background check. FCRA regulations require employers to meet specific criteria in their disclosures. Chief among these requirements is…