Pre-Employment Background Screening and Small Business

March 20, 2012 By

If you own or manage a small business and don’t conduct pre-employment background checks of job applicants, you’re in the minority. You’re also at risk. Today, 80% of all human resource professionals use some form of pre-employment screening. A growing number of small businesses are following suit as well, simply because it makes good business sense, particularly during these tough and turbulent economic times.

There are a number of important reasons why pre-employment background checks are important. Probably the most critical reason is that because about 10% of the job applicants you interview have criminal records, a pre-employment screening can preempt dangerous, potentially violent incidents in your business.

Second, studies have shown that about 40% of every resume you review contains material lies or omissions about the applicant’s work and personal history such as education, past employment or overall qualifications. Furthermore, if a person is inclined to lie on their resume, simple reference checking won’t identify the problem. A job applicant who has no compunction about professional dishonesty will make sure that any references listed will give a glowing report, most of which will be bogus as well.

The bottom line—literally—is that thorough pre-employment screening is a good investment because the process will ultimately serve to reduce overall costs. Lawsuits stemming from employee actions, theft or embezzlement, high turnover, bad publicity, and lost customers become very expensive very quickly. Pre-employment screening is sound business investment that makes perfect business sense.

By now it should be pretty clear that the issue isn’t whether or not to conduct pre-employment screening—it’s something that every business, large or small, needs to do. The real issue is how to do it.

Many small companies—even some larger ones, for that matter—rely solely on Internet-based background checking services. Some businesses add a credit check as well, for good measure. Unfortunately, this approach leaves a lot to be desired, and if not executed properly—within the letter of the law—can create an entirely new set of problems.

The fact is that there are many different kinds of pre-employment screens that can be conducted. Basic employment screens would include SSN verification and trace, a criminal records search, driving records, employment verification, and perhaps a drug test. Expanded pre-employment screening would typically include a civil records search, education verification, and a thorough, professionally conducted reference check. For highly specialized employment, an international criminal check would be conducted, along with a review of bankruptcy records, professional licensing, Inspector General reports and a credit check.

If it starts to sound a little bit complex, it is. Determining what pre-employment screens to conduct, and then actually performing them requires a high level of professional expertise. A basic scan using an online service is of little or no use, particularly if you are not trained or experienced at deciphering the data you receive.

But there is another reason why pre-employment screening is best left to the professionals as well—potential legal liability. Unless you know the laws regarding pre-employment screening and follow them explicitly, you put yourself at risk for extensive legal—and financial—liability.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the main statute that governs pre-employment screening. For example, the FCRA requires that prospective and active employees must expressly authorize a pre-employment screen, and that they must be given notice before any derogatory information is used against them. Furthermore, the pre-employment screening report may only be used for a permissible purpose.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the federal agency that also has had its eye on pre-employment screening as of late. The EEOC has set forth laws that provide very specific guidelines as to how pre-employment screening data is used, and under what circumstances it can be obtained. In addition, there are a myriad of individual state laws that govern the pre-employment screening process as well.

Another thing to consider is that a pre-employment background screening report is only the first step in the process. It is now considered a human resources best practice to conduct periodic background checks on employees who are already working for the company. The reason of course is that people change over time and knowing that a background screen can be conducted at any time simply serves to keep honest people honest.

There is no question that pre-employment screening and ongoing background checking should be an integral part of your hiring and employee management process. Think of it as a sort of insurance policy—making a nominal investment up front and spending a little bit more along the way can avert huge losses and catastrophic events down the road.

Filed Under: Employment Screening Tagged With: , , , , ,

Preventing and Handling Incidents of Workplace Violence (Conference)

March 19, 2012 By

Mandy C. Rosenblum of the Law Office of Mandy C. Rosenblum, along with, Know It All Intelligence Group’s Vice President and Co-Founder, Marc Bourne will present Preventing and Handling Incidents of Workplace Violence on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the 18th Annual Employment Law Institute.  The Employment Law Institute is a Two day Employment & Labor Law event by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Statistics reveal that no workplace is immune from threats of violence. As workers experience stress over job security, witness layoffs, carry heavier workloads, work longer hours and individuals remain unemployed for long periods of time, the possibility of an act of violence occurring in the workplace is real, regardless of the industry or size of the company. Join Marc Bourne and Mandy C. Rosenblum for a lively discussion of how to prevent threats of violence, best practices for handling actual incidents of workplace violence when they occur and information on how to conduct investigations when threats of violence are reported to company personnel. Additionally, Mr. Bourne and Ms. Rosenblum will discuss the importance of establishing and maintaining a workplace violence and safety plan.

Click Here to register for the 18th Annual Employment Law Institute.  We look forward to seeing you at the Convention Center!

Filed Under: Workplace Violence Tagged With: , , , , ,

Disturbingly Dangerous Daycare – Can it happen in Pennsylvania?

March 6, 2012 By

 

Anyone who has ever watched MSNBC’s Dateline contributor Chris Hansen expose child predators knows how hard-hitting—and shocking—Hansen’s reports can be. Hansen was recently at it again with a new episode of The Hansen Files, his investigative franchise on Dateline, where he profiled day care workers with criminal records.

 

The episode was exceptionally disturbing when Hansen’s investigation—and hidden cameras—exposed a number of day care workers across the country with extensive criminal records. Many of these people, all with direct and daily access to young children, were hiding dangerous and violent criminal backgrounds, up to and including murder convictions. Hansen went on to reveal that some of these people had never mended their ways, resulting in unfortunately tragic events in their day care centers. It’s a serious problem not only for day care operators, but also for parents looking for a reputable and safe place for their children.

 

This is actually a pretty easy problem to solve as long as two things occur. The first is to require background checks and pre-employment screening for all day care employees. The second is to require ongoing background checking and screening throughout the course of employment. Unfortunately, although pre-employment screening and background checks are common, many day care operators fall short on the ongoing evaluation of their employees. That’s a mistake, and potentially a very costly one.

 

As if the safety of the children they are responsible for isn’t enough, day care operators also face significant legal and financial liability if a child is injured or harmed while under supervision. The liability becomes even more significant if it results from the actions of someone with a criminal past who is an employee of the day care center. It is the sole responsibility of the day care operator to know who is working for them and to ensure that these employees meet all of the established criteria for honesty, integrity and safety.

 

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the state mandates pre-employment screening and background checks. Any daycare employee working in Pennsylvania must have a PA State Police background check, a Child Abuse Clearance through the Department of Public Welfare and an FBI Fingerprint submission conducted by an authorized Cogent Facility, such as Know It All Intelligence Group in Bensalem, PA.

 

Unfortunately, the state does not mandate ongoing background checks. PA law requires the aforementioned checks at the time of hiring, but does not require periodic checks in an ongoing basis. This does not exempt child daycare operators from liability stemming from the actions of their employees, however. Since daycare operators are responsible for safety of the children under their care, they are also responsible to ensure that their employees meet all state requirements for daycare employees throughout the term of their employment.

 

It is therefore up to the daycare operator to perform periodic background checks for all employees. These checks can easily be done through a third-party employment-screening firm, typically done automatically on the anniversary of the employee’s hire date. In fact, it is considered industry best practice for day care centers to conduct regular screening of their employees in order to ensure the safety the children that they care for, as well as for their other employees as well.

 

Know It All Intelligence Group can handle walk in fingerprint requests at its Bensalem offices as well as providing on-site group fingerprinting services by reservation, in accordance with Pennsylvania law. Know It All Intelligence Group provides both Cogent fingerprinting services and background checks in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester Counties, as well as in the City of Philadelphia.

Filed Under: Employment Screening Tagged With: , , ,

Act 24 Requires Immediate Action For All Pennsylvania Teachers

February 27, 2012 By

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Act 24 of 2011 (commonly referred to simply Act 24) contains a number of important changes to the Pennsylvania Public School Code, which are intended to improve the safety of the state’s school children.

Act 24 is an amendment to Section 111 of the School Code, which addresses the issue of background checks for all school employees. This includes anyone that has direct contact with children in public or private schools, vocational-technical schools, intermediate units, and the employees of independent contractors working in these institutions. Act 24 also covers student teacher candidates.

The biggest change is that Act 24 mandates that all current school employees—as well as new applicants—are now required to undergo a thorough background check. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine if a school employee or candidate for employment has been arrested for or convicted of any of the following crimes: criminal homicide, aggravated assault, stalking, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure, incest, concealing the death of a child, endangering welfare of children, dealing in infant children, prostitution and related offenses (felony), obscene and other sexual materials as well as performances, corruption of minors, and the sexual abuse of children.

The changes to Act 24 add several additional crimes offenses including crimes related to luring a child into a motor vehicle or structure, institutional sexual assault, sexual intercourse with animals, unlawful contact with minors, solicitation of minors to traffic drugs and sexual exploitation of children.

Perhaps the biggest change however is that whereas Act 24 previously prohibited the hiring of anyone arrested or convicted of these crimes within a 5-year or in some cases a 3-year period of conviction, now they are permanently disqualified. Act 24 now also specifies a prohibition period of 10, 5, or 3 years following conviction for personnel convicted of felonies, misdemeanors and also DUI.

Because the changes to Act 24 require that teachers or school personnel with direct student contact who are already employed must also submit to a background check with the same restrictions on eligibility, a number of challenges have been mounted. At least 14 school districts or private schools have determined that an employee has a disqualifying arrest or conviction in their background and subsequently terminated the employee. Four of these cases have resulted in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Act 24, specifically because it is retroactive by applying new standards to existing employment.

Lawmakers however intend to remain firm on the overriding purpose of Act 24—the safety and welfare of the state’s school children. For that reason, it is unlikely that things will change anytime soon, and the provisions of Act 24 will remain in full force and effect. For that reason, anyone who falls under the jurisdiction of Act 24, as well as any candidate seeking employment in a school or position covered by Act 24 must submit to a background check.

One component of the background checking process is that the candidate must have an FBI fingerprint analysis. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, that must be done by a Cogent Systems authorized vendor. Cogent Systems is a biometric identification solutions provider that manages the fingerprinting process for the Pennsylvania State Department of Education.

Know It All Intelligence Group is an approved Cogent Systems vendor serving the Greater Delaware Valley including Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties and the City of Philadelphia. Know It All Intelligence group accepts walk-in fingerprinting requests at its offices in Bensalem. Walk-in fingerprinting requests are handled on a first come, first served basis and do not require an appointment if conducted from Monday to Friday between 9am to 4pm. Fingerprinting requests outside of those hours are by appointment only.

Know It All Intelligence Group also offers mobile fingerprinting services for groups. Know It All Intelligence Group offers mobile fingerprinting throughout its service area of Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties and within the City of Philadelphia. Group administrators are advised to call Know It All Group directly at (888) 281-9535 in order to schedule a mobile group fingerprinting appointment. Groups of virtually any size can be accommodated.

Know It All Intelligence Group is a full service employment screening firm offering a wide range of professional, pre-employment screening options, including Act 24 compliance. For more information about Know It All Intelligence Group, visit the company’s website at www.knowitallgroup.com.

Filed Under: Fingerprinting Tagged With: , , ,

Hiding In Plain Sight – Best Skip Tracing for Lawyers

February 20, 2012 By

I am often asked about the best way to find someone who, for one reason or another, has disappeared. More often than not an attorney, trying to find a defendant, a needed witness or a debtor, poses the question. In our business, this is called Skip Tracing or Subject Locates.

In fact, attorneys are our biggest skip tracing and subject locate clients simply because most lawyers are too busy to spend the time trying to find someone who has disappeared. The reality however is that even if an attorney has the time to do a subject locate, most simply don’t have the skills. Skip tracing is as much an art as it is a science.

The interesting thing is that when someone disappears it’s not typically a very sophisticated undertaking. These folks don’t obtain new identities and go deep undercover using spy craft worthy of a Le Carre’ novel. In most cases skip tracing subjects simply move and often not even out of the area. Of course they might move several times over a fairly short period of time, but they are, in effect, hiding in plain sight.

But for an attorney who needs to contact them or serve them papers, even the most unsophisticated subject can be extremely difficult to track down. Lawyers and attorneys that try to do their own subject locates generally rely on databases to find the missing people. More often than not, they will turn this tedious and painstaking task over to a paralegal or office administrator, who really doesn’t have the time or the skills to conduct a proper skip trace.

Speaking from experience, even someone hiding in plain sight can be difficult to find, unless you are trained to find them. And regardless of the fact that there are many databases that can be used for this purpose, locating a subject by using only a keyboard and monitor is often futile.

When we conduct a skip trace or subject locate for a lawyer, we use a team of former local, state and federal investigators. These professional “finders” gather human intelligence, as well as using proprietary information gathering sources. An active investigation of this kind also includes using a wide range of available databases. Our team has over 100 years of combined investigatory experience—subjects can run but they can’t hide.

Because we are located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, many subjects disappear into Philadelphia where they can get lost in the shuffle or over the river to another state. If you’re using only electronic databases, as many skip tracing or subject locate firms do, chances of success are significantly diminished. But since our investigators can go anywhere, they can find someone anywhere. The human intelligence aspect of the skip tracing process is the most important one.

As the economy struggles, financial challenges force many people to do desperate things. Some people steal to make ends meet and some simply flee their obligations. Attorneys are most often the ones who need to find them. My point is that conducting a successful skip tracing or subject locate engagement is a matter of skill and expertise as much as it is diligence. Because of our focus on the human intelligence component as developed by seasoned, professional investigators, our success rate for skip trace and subject locates is much higher than most other private investigation firms.

The bottom line is this: lawyers and attorneys are trained to practice law. But when a skip trace or subject locate is necessary in the practice of law, it’s a much better idea to hire professionals to find the missing person.  Contact Know It All Intelligence Group today for a free consultation. Knowledge is Power, Safety is Priceless.

Filed Under: Litigation Support Tagged With: , , ,

A Delaware Dilemma – Why Regular Background Checks Are a Must

February 17, 2012 By

The New Castle County, Delaware, police recently arrested a professional maid who had stolen a diamond engagement ring from a home she was cleaning. The woman, an employee of a commercial and residential cleaning company, was charged with felony theft and was still incarcerated at this writing.

The homeowner called the police after realizing that the ring was missing and advised them that employees of a Delaware-based commercial and residential cleaning company had been at the home earlier in the day. In the course of the subsequent investigation, in turned out that one of the maids at the house earlier that day had pawned numerous pieces of jewelry in various Delaware pawn shops.

The investigating officer ultimately found the missing ring at one of those shops, and took the suspect into custody. The incident is disturbing and causes problems for both the victim, and the commercial and residential cleaning company whose employee caused the problem in the first place.

The victim has been violated, and anyone who has ever had anything stolen from them knows the feeling. There is also a sense of betrayal because the victim hired a professional commercial and residential cleaning company to come into her home and clean it. Instead of choosing an independent house cleaner, the decision to hire a professional residential cleaning service is largely based on an assumption that the company has done a background check, or some type of employment screening prior to hiring its employees.

Had the residential cleaning service conducted a proper background check or employment screening prior to hiring the now-incarcerated employee, her blemished history would have come to light. That pattern of behavior would have—or at least should have—been enough of a red flag to prevent hiring her.

In addition to the victim of the crime, the other victim in this is the commercial and residential cleaning service that hired the thief. The company’s reputation—in other words, its brand—has been severely tarnished by the fact that they hired a thief who stole from a customer. That information is already out on the Internet, and will stay there for a very long time. By failing to do a thorough background check or a comprehensive pre-employment screening, the company made a bad hiring decision.

Even if the company performed some sort of background check or pre-employment screening, it was not thorough enough to identify the potential problem. Effective background checks and pre-employment screening require extensive expertise and experience if they are to be of any value.

It’s also important to realize that people change over time. A background check and pre-employment screening—particularly for employees who work in someone’s home or office—should be done regularly, at least quarterly. Particularly for commercial and residential cleaning services, the objective is to hire honest people and then to make sure they stay honest.

Once a reputation or brand has been tarnished like this, it is difficult if not impossible to rebuild it. There are too many commercial and residential cleaning services to choose from—why hire a firm that has a track record of hiring thieves?

Yes, there is a financial cost of conducting background checks and pre-employment screening. But for a commercial and residential cleaning service in Delaware, the cost of destroying their valuable reputation will be far greater.

Call Know It All Intelligence Group today and discuss your options for employee screening and background checks.  Knowledge is power.  Safety is priceless.

Filed Under: Employment Screening Tagged With: , , , ,

Protect Your Executives From Danger and Threats

February 13, 2012 By

Security threats are not exclusive to New York City or Washington DC, despite what television and movies may lead you to believe.  Offenses can happen anywhere in the world, including right here in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.  If you’re planning any sort of high profile event in the city of Philadelphia, you cannot be too careful.  Know It All Intelligence Group can assist you with your security detail, ensuring that your event runs as smooth as possible.

Executive protection is often synonymous with celebrities.  Know It All can certainly provide executive protection to celebrities.  But executive protection can be quite useful for people from many walks of life, such as Public Figures, Corporate Executives, and High Net Worth Individuals.  Additionally, having executive protection for your Corporate or High Profile Event may be a precaution worth taking.

Know It All Intelligence Group can tailor a package for you or your company, encompassing all of your security needs.  Whether protection is needed one time or on a daily basis, Know It All can provide expert professionals that will blend into the environment.  By employing highly trained former military and law enforcement professionals, you can rest assured that you are in good hands.

Know It All’s service does not stop at executive protection.  Risk/Threat Assessments, Travel Security Plans, Crisis Planning and Evacuation Plans are all things that Know It All Intelligence Group can assist with for clients in the Philadelphia area.

You never know what danger is lurking right around the corner.  Heed the words of your mother, “better safe than sorry,” and call Know It All Intelligence Group today.  Knowledge is power.  Safety is priceless.

Filed Under: Executive Protection Tagged With: , , ,

Avoid Costly Banking Errors By Doing The Right Employment Screening At The Start

February 12, 2012 By

Bank and Credit Union errors may be something to cheer about in Monopoly, but they’re certainly not in the real world.  These errors can and do cause major problems for real people every single day, be it a customer who is living paycheck to paycheck or needs a loan, or a bank or credit union manager who needs to explain how a certain employee accidentally moved a decimal point.  The bottom line is simple.  Mistakes are going to happen.  If you’re a hiring manager for a bank or credit union in the Delaware area, it’s your job to make sure that you trust a potential employee.

Know It All Intelligence Group is ready to assist both bank and credit union managers in the state of Delaware narrow the candidate pool to those in whom they can place the utmost confidence.  After running a potential employee through the vigorous series of background checks performed by Know It All, you can rest assured that you are getting an employee with no unknown skeletons in their closet.

Know It All will run a social security number trace, county criminal record check, federal criminal record check, and a multi-state crime-base scan.  In addition, they will verify employment, education, and professional licenses and certificates.  Finally, Know It All will check credit scores and lab based drug tests.  No stone will be left unturned.

After running a potential hire through the gamut of searches performed by Know It All Intelligence Group, you can feel confidant when it comes to hiring a employee for your Delaware based banking facility.

You can never be too safe.  Call Know It All Intelligence Group today and discuss your options for employee screening and background checks.  Knowledge is power.  Safety is priceless.

Filed Under: Employment Screening Tagged With: , ,

The Importance Of Background Checks

January 16, 2012 By

When it comes to your business, you can never be too careful.  Bringing a new employee into the fold is an exciting time, as you are introducing a new skillset to your existing team.  Unfortunately, it’s also a nerve-wracking time for those responsible.  Know It All Intelligence Group can help to alleviate some of your pre-hiring stress by conducting extensive employment screens and background checks on prospective employees.

Located on Street Road in Bensalem, PA, Know It All Intelligence Group is centrally located, allowing us to provide nationwide employment screening and background checks to numerous surrounding areas.  Know It All Intelligence Group is only a short trip north on I-95 or US-1 from Chester County, Delaware County, Mercer County, and even the state of Delaware.

Know It All Intelligence Group has specialized investigators strategically placed across the globe to ensure that no stone is left unturned.  In all, our service area includes over 3,000 counties in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and the US Virgin Islands.

At Know It All Intelligence Group, our goal is to protect you and your company from potential lawsuits and/or dangerous employees who could damage your business or your business’ reputation.  We use experienced court researchers and investigators, rather than simply pulling general information from a database, which could be outdated, incomplete, or even inaccurate.

Following our investigation, you are provided with an easy-to-read report, assuring that you can make the most educated decision possible before hiring a candidate.

Know It All Intelligence Group services any and all potential employment industries, including but not limited to gaming, local and state government, banks and financial institutions, accounting and payrolls firms, healthcare organizations, and so on.

It does not matter if you have a small business or a Fortune 500 company, protecting your company is essential.  If your business is located in Chester County, Delaware County, Mercer County, or the state of Delaware, please allow us to help limit your exposure.

If you have any questions about Know It All Intelligence Group, our employment screening and background checks, or if you would like to learn more about how we can help, please contact us at (888) 281-9535.  Knowledge is power, and safety is priceless.  Call us today.

Filed Under: Employment Screening Tagged With: , ,

The Importance Of Fingerprinting

January 12, 2012 By

With each passing day, the need for tighter security restrictions is becoming more and more necessary. It’s an unfortunate circumstance created by the world we live in. Thus, many companies are requiring extensive background checks before offering any type of employment as a way to safeguard themselves. Some even require fingerprinting. At Know It All Intelligence Group, we can assist with all of your finger printing needs.

Located on Street Road in Bensalem, PA, Know It All Intelligence Group is centrally located, allowing us to service numerous surrounding areas. Know It All Intelligence Group is only a short trip north on I-95 or US-1 from Chester County, Delaware County, Mercer County, and even the state of Delaware.

Know It All Intelligence Group provides traditional ink fingerpriting services. The results can be used for licensing, certification, employment, background checks, or any other purpose you can think of. All of Know It All’s fingerprinting services are performed by expert fingerprint technicians to ensure that the service is performed properly. We are so sure of our work that we gaurantee our fingerprint approval. If your fingerprint card is rejected by either the FBI or State Agency, we will retake your fingerprints at no additional charge to you.

Know It All Intelligence Group fingerprinting offers walk in service from 9:30am to 2:30pm, Monday through Friday. We also offer appointments which can be made to fit your schedule. To ensure the fastest and most pleasant experience, we recommend setting up an appointment. Know It All Intelligence Group also offers a Mobile Fingerprint Service to Chester County, Delaware County, Mercer County, and the state of Delaware. If you have a large group or organization, we can come to you to fingerprint your applicants, students, or volunteers, making the process that much easier. Our fees vary depending upon the location and number of applicants to be fingerprinted. Additionally, we always have a supply of the original FBI FD-258 fingerprint cards available to you. If you do not have your own cards, we can supply you them at no charge.

If you have any questions about Know It All Intelligence Group, our fingerprinting service, or if you could like to schedule an appointment, please contact us at (888) 281-9535. Knowledge is power, and safety is priceless. Call us today.

Filed Under: Fingerprinting Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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