November 15, 2019
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Dollar General alleging its use of criminal history in its hiring practices and decisions violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it had a disparate impact on some applicants. While continuing to deny the allegations, the company agreed to settle with a $6 million payment. Additionally, Dollar General agreed to hire a criminal history consultant to evaluate their policies and implement any recommendations within six months. Dollar General also agreed to increased managerial training, so that managers better understand how not to discourage those with criminal histories from applying for employment and to consider hiring those whose conditional employment offers were rescinded based on their criminal history.
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Not sure what you can or cannot ask and when hiring in your state? Visit our Resource Guide to learn more.
November 14, 2019
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Deanna Novak : 888-433-0090
APPROVED PRESS RELEASE
HIRE IMAGE ACHIEVES BACKGROUND SCREENING CREDENTIALING COUNCIL RE-ACCREDITATION
RALEIGH, N.C., NOVEMBER 11, 2019 – The Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA®) Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC) announced today that Hire Image LLC has successfully demonstrated continued compliance with the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP) and is recognized as BSCC-Accredited.
Hire Image CEO, Christine Cunneen noted on the achievement: “I could not be prouder that Hire Image has once again achieved BSCC-Accredited status. Our team works tirelessly to ensure that we remain in compliance with the program’s requirements, not only for the benefit of our clients, but for our company, overall. Through accreditation, we are a stronger background screening provider.”
Each year, U.S. employers, organizations and governmental agencies request millions of consumer reports to assist with critical business decisions involving background screening. Background screening reports, which are categorized as consumer reports, are currently regulated at both the federal and state level.
Since its inception, PBSA has maintained that there is a strong need for a singular, cohesive industry standard and, therefore, created the BSAAP. Governed by a strict professional standard of specified requirements and measurements, the BSAAP is becoming a widely recognized seal of achievement that brings national recognition to background screening organizations (also referred to as Consumer Reporting Agencies). This recognition will stand as the industry “seal,” representing a background screening organization’s commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement.
The BSCC oversees the application process and is the governing accreditation body that validates the background screening organizations seeking accreditation meet or exceed a measurable standard of competence. To become accredited, consumer reporting agencies must pass a rigorous onsite audit, conducted by an independent auditing firm, of its policies and procedures as they relate to six critical areas: consumer protection, legal compliance, client education, product standards, service standards, and general business practices.
Any U.S.-based employment screening organization is eligible to apply for accreditation. A copy of the standard, the policies and procedures, and measurements is available at www.thepbsa.org.
About PBSA®
Founded in 2003 as a not-for-profit trade association, the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) represents the interests of more than 900 member companies around the world that offer tenant, employment and background screening. PBSA provides relevant programs and training aimed at empowering members to better serve clients and maintain standards of excellence in the background screening industry, and presents a unified voice in the development of national, state and local regulations. For more information, visit www.thepbsa.org.
About Hire Image LLC
Hire Image LLC is a nationally accredited specialist in the field of background screening, drug testing, and verification services. Our priority is to provide accurate and timely background screening reports, using our secure platform, thus enabling clients to make well-informed hiring and/or retention decisions. Our exceptional support system, live phone answering, compliance-centric focus, and customized reporting is tailored specifically to meet client needs. For more information, visit www.hireimage.com.
November 8, 2019
In observance of Veterans Day, most courts will be closed on Monday, November 11th. This will delay some reports.
Hire Image will be open during normal business hours.
We would like to thank all Veterans for their service and sacrifices. We are forever grateful!
November 4, 2019
Effective January 1, 2020: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), recently established guidelines to include oral fluid specimens in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs. The new Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs using Oral Fluid (OFMG) allows for the collection and testing of oral fluid specimens by federal executive branch agencies and other agencies, including the Department of Transportation and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Previously, urine specimens were required, which had been the requirement since the guidelines were first published in 1988. The premise for this current change is the broad establishment and acceptance of oral fluid as an alternative specimen for accurate drug testing.
The OFMG establish standards and technical requirements for:
- oral fluid collection devices,
- initial oral fluid drug test specimens and methods,
- confirmatory oral fluid drug test specimen materials and methods,
- processes for review by a Medical Review Officer (MRO), and
- requirements for federal agency actions.
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Regulated employers that follow SAMHSA guidelines should make the appropriate revisions to their own workplace drug policies. Contact us if you have any questions about what these new guidelines mean for you and your business.
October 25, 2019
Effective October 31, 2019, Kansas City employers with six or more employees are prohibited from:
- Asking about the salary history of an applicant for employment;
- Screening applicants based on their current or prior wages, benefits, other compensation, or salary histories;
- Relying on the salary history of an applicant in deciding whether to offer employment or in determining the salary, benefits, or other compensation for such applicant during the hiring process; or
- Refuse to hire or retaliate against an applicant for not disclosing his or her salary history.
An employer may; however, engage in discussion with an applicant about salary, benefits, and other compensation expectations. The above prohibitions do not apply to applicants for internal transfer or promotion; a voluntary disclosure by the applicant regarding his or her salary history; any attempt by the employer to verify the applicant’s non-salary information or conducting a background check that shows salary history (as long as the employer does not rely upon that information in determining salary); and certain positions.
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For more information on these and other laws and whether they affect your state, visit our resource guide at https://www.hireimage.com/background-check-resource-library/
October 14, 2019
The family of Evelyn Smith Udell, the 75-year-old Boca Raton, Florida woman who was fatally beaten and burned by a worker delivering a washer and dryer to her home is suing Best Buy. The wrongful-death lawsuit alleges that Best Buy, where she purchased the washer and dryer, failed to warn her of the third-party companies that they had neither investigated nor supervised for their deliveries; in this case, JB Hunt and XM Delivery Service.
According to the police report, on August 19, 2019, Jorge Lachazo, 21, beat Smith Udell with a mallet, then doused her with a chemical, setting her on fire. He fled the scene in the delivery truck, while his coworker called 911. Smith Udell later died in the hospital from her injuries.
“We have filed a lawsuit against Best Buy, JB Hunt and XM Delivery Service to hold them accountable for failing to conduct adequate background checks on the workers they’re sending to customers’ homes,” said Nick Panagakis, the family’s attorney. “The killer’s background should have easily disqualified him as a delivery driver required to drive a delivery truck that he couldn’t legally do — and with direct and continuous access to the private homes of totally innocent victims,” Panagakis continued.
Best Buy responded in a statement: “If the family will accept it, we would very much like the opportunity to donate to the charity they have established. As importantly, we join with the Udell family in calling for legislation regarding mandatory background checks across the retail industry and any other reasonable steps that can be taken to ensure this kind of tragedy does not occur again.” The statement also indicated that background checks “have long been required by Best Buy and we are working with those we contract out to ensure that these checks are up-to-date and are done on a re-occurring basis.”
Important legislation regarding required background checks is expected to stem from this case in Florida.
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Hire Image understands the importance of background screenings to help protect your customers, employees, and property from instances such as this devastating one. Contact us to learn more about what else you can do today to help protect yourself and others with whom you work.
