Over 100 states and cities across the United States have limited the use of an applicant’s criminal history in all but limited circumstances. Against this “ban the box” tsunami, some employers also have been attacked for not being aggressive enough…
Posts by Category: Employment Screening
The Hiring Process Tightrope – Tips for Employers in the Senior Care Space to Navigate the EEOC’s Guidance on Criminal Background Checks and “Ban the Box” Laws
For employers in the senior living and long-term care industry, criminal history information is a crucial tool in the hiring process. Various state and federal laws prohibit retirement communities from employing individuals who have been convicted of certain crimes…
Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins: Petitioner Argues if There is No Actual Injury-in-Fact, Plaintiff Lacks Standing to Sue
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s grant of certiorari on April 27, 2015 in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, No. 13-1339, the Petitioner has weighed in with their brief. As you may recall, the question before the Court has the potential to determine the future scope of…
Chuck E. Cheese Settles Background Check Lawsuit for $1.75 Million
On July 7, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California preliminarily approved a $1.75 million class action settlement under the FCRA involving Chuck E. Cheese’s background check practices. This settlement serves as another reminder of the…
Using Criminal Convictions in the Hire Process: A Hobson’s Choice for Employers?
Is the government really telling employers that they are not allowed to disqualify an applicant because of past criminal activity? In a word, yes. That is increasingly becoming the case on the state level and has been the focus of federal enforcement efforts over the…
Security Check Firm USIS Accepts $30 Million Fraud Settlement
United States Investigations Services, the security firm which vetted Edward Snowden, has agreed to a fine of about $30 million to settle U.S. charges related to the way it conducted background checks on applicants for sensitive government jobs. The Justice Department…
EEOC Uses its Record Keeping Requirements to Police Use of Criminal Background Checks
Did you know that the EEOC requires employers to keep all personnel and employment records for at least one year? Just as importantly, to the extent the employer uses a screening technique, like a pre-employment test, information on its impact on candidates by sex,…
Gold Standard?
Many businesses mistakenly believe that the FBI database is the “gold standard” for identifying those with criminal records. But, the FBI database only includes criminal records that have a fingerprint associated with them, and many from the state or county level do…
U.S. Law to Create ID Card for Veterans
Congress has approved the creation of a veterans’ identification card, making it easier for veterans to prove military service without having to produce a military service record or some other valuable document. “This bill is a prime example of what we can…
Final NIST Guidance Addresses Protection of Sensitive Data in Hands of Contractors
Final guidance (SP 800-171) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology on protecting sensitive federal information on nonfederal information systems “will prove important, perhaps profound, as the nation seeks to improve its cyber defenses,†said an…




