The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) applauds an NBC Today Show report by National Investigative Correspondent Jeff Rossen for emphasizing “the critically important role background screening plays in today’s business environment,” according to a press release from the NAPBS available at http://www.businesswire.com/news/topix/20130820006390/en.
The August 20, 2013 Rossen Report warned how in-home service workers that unsuspecting customers let into their homes could be violent felons with criminal records since there are no federal laws and only “spotty” local laws requiring such service companies to perform background checks. The report is available at http://www.today.com/news/violent-felons-sent-homes-service-workers-6C10935682.
“Health care workers, volunteers working with children, those handling money issues for businesses – and especially home service workers – are all examples of positions where employers need to know who they are hiring,” NAPBS Chairman Fred Giles stated in the press release. “Background screening is a critical practice that provides employers with the peace of mind and confidence to know they’re making the best hiring decision possible.”
A background screening program can help assure consumers that the service providers they let into their homes are safe. The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E. (Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment) – named after a Florida woman murdered by an in-home service worker – educates consumers and employers on the “moral and legal obligation” for criminal background checks on all employees including contractors and subcontractors. Their website is located at http://sueweavercause.org/.
“Consumers should ask not only whether companies screen their workers but also if they use a professional background screener, such as a member of the NAPBS,” Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E. Founder and Executive Director Lucia Bone, the sister of the victim, stated in the press release.
Professional background screeners are subject to federal oversight regarding compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the background screening industry is highly regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and state and local consumer protection laws. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also issued new enforcement guidance in April 2012 on the use of criminal background checks for employment screening.
In 2010, the NAPBS launched an accreditation program to promote best practices, consumer protection, and legal compliance. A list of accredited background screening firms is available on the NAPBS website at http://www.napbs.com/. Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) is a nationwide background check firm that is an NAPBS member and accredited by the NAPBS. For more information about background checks, visit http://www.esrcheck.com or call Toll Free 888.999.4474.
Sources:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/topix/20130820006390/en
http://www.today.com/news/violent-felons-sent-homes-service-workers-6C10935682
About Employment Screening Resources® (ESR):
Founded by safe hiring expert Attorney Les Rosen in 1997, Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority®’– provides accurate and actionable information that empowers employers to make informed hiring decisions for the benefit of their organizations, employees, and the public. CEO Rosen literally wrote the book on background checks with “The Safe Hiring Manual” and ESR is accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), a distinction held by a small percent of screening firms. Employers choosing ESR know they have selected an agency meeting the highest industry standards. To learn more about ESR, visit http://www.esrcheck.com or call toll free 888.999.4474.
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The Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) News blog – ESR News – provides employment screening information for employers, recruiters, and jobseekers on a variety of topics including credit reports, criminal records, data privacy, discrimination, E-Verify, jobs reports, legal updates, negligent hiring, workplace violence, and use of search engines and social network sites for background checks. For more information about ESR News or to send comments or questions, please email ESR News Editor Thomas Ahearn at tahearn@esrcheck.com. To subscribe to the ESR News Blog Feed, visit http://www.esrcheck.com/wordpress/feed/. To subscribe to the complimentary ESRcheck Report monthly newsletter, please visit http://www.esrcheck.com/Newsletter/.