Any good business owner or HR manager understands the benefits of running background checks on job candidates before they’re hired. An experienced, reputable employment screening company like KRESS can check for for red flags in employees’ work, legal, or financial history before they come on board and potentially become a liability. The only problem is that one-time pre-employment checks represent just a single moment in time. If an employee commits a crime, has a license revoked, or loses work authorization after being hired, you may never know about it.
This risk is why more and more companies across the United States are switching to continuous background checks, also known as rolling background checks. Running regular, periodic screenings on employees—especially those in safety-sensitive positions—keeps employers informed on any changes in their status that could spell trouble for the company. One high-profile, nationwide employer at the forefront of this movement is Uber. The company has been pushed to do a better job of screening its drivers following recent accounts of alleged driver misconduct. Continuous background checks help Uber ensure that its employees do not pose a danger to its customers—or the business’s reputation.
Rolling background checks can help protect your company from potential fraud and legal liabilities, which is a big reason why they are becoming more popular. Unfortunately, liability is not just in what you know. Often, it is also in what you should have known. Negligence can occur when hiring, but also during retention.
Any employee who interacts with the public should be subject to criminal-record background checks at regular intervals. What those intervals are is up to the company; most companies re-check from a quarterly to a bi-annual basis. If you go longer than bi-annually, you could miss important information.
It’s important to remember, though, that continuous screening must still comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Your screening provider must follow federal and state laws regarding disclosure and authorization requirements and the adverse action process in case an employee is terminated based on what the screening uncovers. It’s never advisable to base decisions on arrest records without allowing individuals an opportunity to dispute the findings. After all, it is always possible that a mistake has been made during a background check.
KRESS’s diligent team of screening professionals help ensure that mistakes are rare. We work with businesses across the country to provide reliable, compliant rolling background checks that provide useful intelligence and peace of mind. If you’d like to know more about our biennial and quarterly background check services, contact us today for a consultation with a background check professional.