Tag Archives: Background Screening

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NYC Fails to Review Over 6,000 Background Checks

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NYC Fails to Review Over 6,000 Background Checks

This week the Department of Transportation for New York City discovered over 6,000 background checks for city workers have been backlogged and not reviewed before being offered a job. This means thousands of workers for the city have gotten employment without proper review of sex offender registry, county and federal criminal record checks.

How did this happen?

The DOI reports they are finally making headway in shifting through all of these checks, but how did this happen in the first place? “We know there is a serious backlog and are concerned,” DOI Commissioner Mark Peters said in a statement. “This, however, is a result of a very thorough process and too few staff.”

 Each of DOI’s 16 background check investigators is working on an average of 160 reviews, DOI said. With too few staff, hundreds of checks have gone more than three years without being reviewed. This could be a huge issue for New York state should any workers be found with federal crime records or sex offender registry on their checks that the city did not review before offering them positions that have gone to compensate upwards of $100,000 a year.

The Numbers

There are approximately 2,000 city workers who fall into those categories each year, according to DOI. That number has steadily gone up as the city now employs close to 294,000 full-time staffers, a historic high, payroll records show. Further complicating the matter, DOI recently audited two unnamed city agencies and discovered more than 1,000 staffers who were never even sent over for background checks. The employees are now being checked.

 

This has apparently been an ongoing problem for the DOI of NYC but with more employees every year falling through the cracks, where will the line be drawn? “This has always been a problem,” said a former high-ranking DOI official during the Bloomberg administration. “It kind of makes a mockery of the whole system.”

Employment Background Checks

What is in a Background Check?

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What is in a Background Check?

The first thing to note about finding out what is in a background check is knowing that answer can be almost anything. It all depends on the KIND of background check your company chooses to run, if you are doing them for pre-employment purposes, or if you decide to run one on yourself you can choose what you want to find out. A standard background check package, also known as our Standard Level Package , will do a National Criminal Database Search (which draws searches from over 550 million records in all 50 states, Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as a Social Security Verification, National Sex Offender Registry Search, and County of Residence Criminal Search (county to be searched in is needed). This package is the most common among employers and is very comprehensive. You can also add a drug test to your background check package here to get a full sense of who you are hiring.

 

Below you will find a full description of our most common background checks, and they do:

Criminal Background Checks

Criminal background checks are the most common search requested and provide an accurate account of a candidates criminal history. A criminal background check should be every employer’s starting point when seeking information on potential employees during the hiring process as to alleviate the risk of criminal activity, unnecessary costs and legal risks. However, not all criminal background checks are created equal. There are three types of criminal background checks which employers can choose from depending on how in depth an employer wants to go.

County Criminal Searches

Based on the candidate’s address history, the County Criminal Search is considered the most accurate and comprehensive criminal background search. At Accredited Background Checks, we utilize a team of researchers to access criminal records directly from the courthouses in the county(ies) you are requesting.  This check provides felony information and may contain misdemeanor or even minor law infraction information.

State Criminal Search

Administrative Office of the Court (AOC) Report or Law Enforcement Repository. Accesses the statewide criminal repository, if available, in a given state. Statewide Criminal Searches cover all counties in a specific state should you not know what county you specifically want to test in, this is especially useful if your candidate is moving from another city within the state of employment. Also certain industries require a State Criminal Search such as health care workers. Accredited Background Checks can inform you if your industry is required to do a state search upon creating an account here.

Federal Criminal Search

A Federal Criminal Search reports the records of crimes committed against Federal criminal laws. This information is not included on a county or or statewide record, (i.e. bank robbery, interstate theft, kidnapping, etc.). This report is especially relevant for screening management and executive candidates for white-collar crimes. This search is ideal for employees with access to secure or financial information, C-level executives, CPAs, and financial and banking staff.

Professional License/Certification Verification

Professional licensing searches research information on individuals who need state licenses or certifications to engage in a professional activity, including medical professionals, Department of Transportation (DOT) employees holding CDL licenses, attorneys, CPA’s and educators. (Licensed professions may vary by state.) Reports may include license/membership type and current status, license number, date issued, expiration date, disciplinary actions and restrictions.

Education Verification

If an employer wants to verify a candidates’ education claims, such as on a resume, the employer can request an Education Verification. An Education Verification is a direct verification of an applicant’s educational records including dates attended and degree, certificate or diploma received at the provided educational institution.

Motor Vehicle Reports (MVR)

If an employer has specific roles within their company that requires driving company vehicles or even personal vehicles as part of job duties, the employer may wish to request Motor Vehicle Report, specially for a driver under the Department of Transportation, this check is required. The MVR gives you the most up-to-date information on license status, class, moving violations, and restrictions. We access information directly through state Departments of Motor Vehicles.

National Sex Offender Registry

The national sex offender registry search is critical for professionals and volunteers who will interact with youth or work in childcare, education, healthcare and human services environments. The search includes sex offender registration records from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Please note that the types of crimes that require registration vary by state. Therefore, not all individuals convicted of a sex crime in one state may be included in another state’s registry. Know that your results will include what level, out of 3: low risk, moderate risk, and high risk, the offender leveled at should their name come up.

A More Thorough Employment Screening Process with Drug Testing

For added protection from liability or risk to your company, many employers will request a Drug Test in conjunction with a Background Check. Performing a drug test will ensure you are maintaining a drug free workplace and hire more qualified individuals. Employers have a variety of drug testing available that can be chosen depending on the specific duties a potential employee will be performing and/or how in depth an employer would like to test for. For example, DOT Safety Sensitive employees within the Department of Transportation are required to take 5-panel Urine Drug Tests as per CFR Part 40 regulations. 5-Panel urine drug tests screen for basic narcotics such as marijuana and cocaine. However, although the DOT regulation requires 5-Panel urine drug testing, an employer may require as part of their company drug free policy, that all employees must undergo more comprehensive drug testing such as expanded opiate testing including morphine or oxycodone.

Fortunately for employers, Accredited Background Checks, Inc. not only provides accurate and FCRA compliant employment background screenings, but we also provide a more thorough screening process by offering drug testing in conjunction with background checks.

 

At Accredited Background Checks, we aim to provide a complete background reporting solution for employers and companies of all sizes. Whether you’re a local trucking business in small-town U.S.A. or a major international corporation, our goal is to provide you with the tools necessary to make better hiring decisions and lessen potential risk to your organization.

Contact Us Online or give our experts a call at (800)-441-2728 to get started with an employment background reporting solution.