2018 Background Check Statistic Report
Employee Spotlight: Ashley Chitwood
Ashley Chitwood has been a valued member of SELECTiON.COM® since 2016. Here’s a little more about her.
Favorite part of working at SELECTiON.COM®
How everyone here feels like family!
Favorite Hobby
Shopping!
Favorite Quote
“Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together.”
Favorite Food
Pasta!
Favorite Sports Team
Cincinnati Reds!
Fun Fact
I am obsessed with the show Friends!
Employee Spotlight: Miranda Bailey
Miranda Bailey has been a valued member of SELECTiON.COM® since 2017. Here’s a little more about her.
Favorite part of working at SELECTiON.COM®
The friendly office environment.
Favorite Hobby
Hanging out with family.
Favorite Quote
“Just a drop in the ocean.”
Favorite Food
Chips
Fun Fact
My favorite color is turquoise.
Updated Consumer Rights Statement
On September 12, 2018, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection issued an interim final rule to update the model Summary of Consumer Rights and model Summary of Consumer Identity Theft Rights provided in Appendices I and K to Regulation V, which implement the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
This is effective September 21, 2018.
The interim final rule is driven by the FCRA’s recent amendment by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155). The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act mandates that whenever the FCRA requires a consumer to receive either the Summary of Consumer Rights or the Summary of Consumer Identity Theft Rights, a notice regarding the new security freeze right also must be included.
Nationwide consumer reporting agencies must include an initial fraud alert in a consumer’s file a minimum of one year. A fraud alert informs a prospective lender that a consumer may have been a victim of identity theft and requires that the lender take steps to verify the identity of anyone seeking credit in the consumer’s name. Congress set an effective date of Sept. 21, 2018 for the security freeze right, the notice requirement, and the change in duration for initial fraud alerts.
What this means for you
Appropriate language as outlined under the FCRA has been updated in our Summary of Consumer Rights and we are making a consumer version available for distribution to anyone suspecting that they may have been the victim of identity theft.
SELECTiON.COM® has updated versions of these documents available for your use under the “Forms” tab on your Fastrax Select® dashboard.
Please download and update versions of the documents in your permanent files, or according to your specific needs.
Summary of Consumer Rights Statement
A summary of rights to obtain and dispute information in consumer reports and to obtain credit scores.
Summary of Rights For Victims of Identity Theft
A summary of rights for victims of identity theft.
Video- Criminals Hide Their Past
Let’s face it, most criminals aren’t going to just hand over their records. That would make your job a lot easier if they did! Instead they hide their history by working the flaws inherent to the criminal record reporting system.
That’s why you need a background check partner who understands the ways criminals try to work the system. In this video we discuss the top 3 ways criminals try to circumvent the system and how you can prevent it from working.
Navigating the Hiring Pool with Ban the Box
In case you haven’t heard, Ban the Box is a growing movement and it looks like it’s here to stay. Every month it seems like we see a new city or state adding Ban the Box regulations.
It’s been around for 20 years now, so if you still have “the box” on your application, it may be time to think about removing it.
What is Ban the Box?
Ban the Box policies aim to make employers consider job candidates’ qualifications first, without the stigma of any criminal record. So-called “Ban the Box” initiatives are meant to provide job applicants a fair chance by removing conviction history questions on job application forms and delaying background check inquiries until later in the hiring process.
Each city and state has their own regulations when it comes to Ban the Box. Add to that Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulations, and that can make navigating the hiring pool difficult.
As always, you should check with your own legal counsel before changing any part of your background check program, but we have outlined some simple steps below to keeping your business compliant.
Obtain a Release
First and foremost, have the applicant sign a release form authorizing a background check.
Consistency
Run background checks on a consistent basis. Don’t just run one when you think an applicant looks fishy. That can lead to litigation down the road.
You can have a different set of reports that you run depending on the type of job, but make sure that you have clearly defined what types of reports you intend to run for each job.
If a criminal conviction is found, check to see if the conviction is relevant to the position. Again, consistency is key. Know beforehand what types of convictions would exclude someone from working in certain departments/positions.
Proper Applicant Notification
Follow FCRA guidelines if you choose not to hire based on the results of a background check.
- Send a copy of the background check along with the Summary of Rights.
- Wait the required 5 business days and send your Adverse Action Letter.
If you don’t know what the Summary of Rights or Adverse Action forms are, not to worry, we have you covered! Not only are these forms available on the Fastrax® website, but we can also turn on a feature for your account that will allow you to have us send the forms for you, with just the check of a box.
SELECTiON.COM® provides the comprehensive and customizable screening solutions needed to navigate the legal aspects of background screening. We stay up-to-date with all EEOC and FCRA regulations and provide you with all the forms you need on our proprietary system, Fastrax®, our easy to use one-click FCRA notification system that makes the FCRA compliance a breeze.
The Fastraxt® system allows employers to stay compliant and provides them with the ability to follow the background check process from start to finish.
Our Applicant Entry system will obtain accurate information straight from the applicant, as well as provide an electronic release form for a permanent digital record of their FCRA consent.
Contact us today to see how SELECTiON.COM® can keep you compliant while taking your employment background check process to the next level.
NOTE: The contents of this article are not legal advice for your particular situation. You should neither act nor rely upon anything stated in this article without first consulting your own legal counsel.
