The Equal Employment Opportunity Council voted in favor of updating its current guidelines regarding employment screening and background checks.  The update is long overdue since they haven’t been updated since 1987.  In the ensuing 25 years, much has changed in terms of employment screening yet the federal agency has been slow to respond to the employment screening process.  For instance, since 1987, many companies offer various forms of background checks and pre-employment screening.  Price and quality vary widely in this developing industry.  Some of these variations can cost potential employees job opportunities while other aberrations may violate a job seeker’s civil rights.  Employers and job hunters will both benefit from the updated guidelines. 

According to Reuters, “A consumer group report earlier this month found that data from a growing number of background screening companies is riddled with errors, costing thousands of U.S. job seekers potential work.

Findings from the National Consumer Law Center showed that such companies routinely confuse people with similar names, list one offense multiple times and fail to include that a person was later cleared. The group wants other federal agencies to step in too.”

The new guidelines are intended to protect the rights of job seekers as well as ensure fair practices on the part of employers.  This is especially important since some employers have recently sought to review job applicants’ social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 

As a South Florida insurance agency that offers employee benefits packages to companies in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the surrounding area, these guidelines will help clarify a process designed to work for the benefit of both the employer and the job applicant.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, and based on particular situations, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice, financial advice and/or the advice of a licensed insurance or certified human resource professional.

© Connelly, Carlisle, Fields & Nichols 2012