June 2016 magazine

Everything You Need To Know About Background
Checks and Pre-Employment Screening
(Continued From Previous Page)
How Far Back can a Background Check Go?
The FCRA states that an employer should not request arrest records that
are over seven years old from the date of the pre-employment screening.
Vice versa, consumer reporting agencies should not report this
information. Background reports also cannot include criminal records that
have been expunged.
Can A Company Not Hire a Person Because of a Background Check?
Yes, but the FRCA closely regulates this. For example, bankruptcies,
workers compensation and injuries cannot be held against you when
applying for a job. An employer also has to tell you that they are not hiring
you because of something they found in your background check. The
employer must provide you with the report, the reason, and allow you to
dispute it if the information is incorrect or should not have been included.
Some employers will simply say that it wasn’t due to the background
report, but because there were more talented candidates, which exempts
them from sharing the background report with you and allows them to
bypass the regulations set forth in the FCRA.
Is There Anything I Should Do Before a Pre-Employment Background
Check?
Run a background check on yourself! You can use a government tool, like
Self Check, or use a paid background check service. IdentitySmart offers a
self background report when signing up as a way to protect and monitor
your identity. Ask for a credit report to make sure there are no
inaccuracies and that your credit is in a good state. Request to see court
records (if you’ve ever been involved in a lawsuit) and driving records (if
the job includes driving) to make sure that they are accurate and don’t
include information that is over seven years old. Know your rights as
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protected under the FCRA.