Handcuff Headlines

More data is always better, right? Not necessarily, especially when it is being used against you.

Voter registration, much like the Electoral College, doesn’t seem to matter until it intersects with our lives. Then, it really matters. This weekend, we wrap up the final race in the mid-term elections, the race for a Louisiana Senate seat between Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) and Rep. Bill Cassidy (R).

Everyone knows credit information stays on your report for seven years and for most employers you can only go back seven years when performing background checks – BUT WHY? Is it biblical, strategic or arbitrary?  The answer to the reason for seven years of credit history will surprise you.

Debtor’s financial records are available to debt collectors through Accurint, a service provided by LexisNexis; however, earlier this month, a federal judge required a payment of $13.5M for violations of the FCRA.

“August 2014 will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This only happens once every 823 years.  The Chinese call it silver pockets full.

Recently, a House Subcommittee heard from the EEOC on individualized assessments and criminal background checks as a matter of policy. An attorney representing the U.S. Congress alleged that the EEOC’s guidance is faulty.

At this point, 22 states have legalized medicinal marijuana. Possession of marijuana is also the third most common criminal conviction.

Soon, employment screening practices may be replaced by a more efficient system that quickly matches a person with their personal information, by adding a fingerprint.

Now more than ever, companies cannot afford to overlook the basics. Due diligence is required in every department, and yet there are still gaps. However, a recent story released by the Minnesota “Star Tribune” shows is a HR system with so many gaps, it feels more like a colander.