Current topic:
Background Screening and Sex Offenders
Why the Criminal Records Search Should Be a First Step
April 2008
The article recently posted by the Star Telegram seeks to put people at ease, suggesting that in Fort Worth 2/3 of sex offenders are in compliance with the law. But for employers seeking to hire the right person for their workplace, these kinds of statistics only prove that a criminal records search should be a mandatory first step in their background screening process.
Every year thousands of sex offenders are released from prison under the care of state supervision, and in most cases, they go in search of a place to live and a job. Because so few employers want to open themselves up to negligent hiring lawsuits and workplace safety issues, many of those previously convicted individuals lie on their applications in order to gain access to employment.
In Fort Worth alone, over 300 sex offenders were not in compliance with the law, meaning that they had disappeared from their communities, and are likely living and working under false pretenses.
And while we've all heard of sex offenders who slip through the cracks because their employer didn't rely on a criminal records search or background screening, the truth is that in many cases only good quality screening will catch these offenders at all.
This is because many cheap background checks only offer a criminal records search on a local or state level. This means that anyone convicted of such crimes need only move to another state to get hired to a position that they should not have. In some cases, sex offenders even try to change their name or use a false social security number to avoid detection, a trick that often slips past those employers who don't rely on real background screening.
In this kind of social environment, in which workplace safety, the safety of clients, and negligent hiring can all play a part when an employer chooses a new employee, a thorough criminal records search on a national level should be the minimum applied to background screening procedures, and should only be the starting point in the pre-hire employment process.
Call EBI to discuss background screening for your firm through a custom program to suit your company's needs.
Our thorough background screening programs can make the difference in helping ensure you're candidates are who
they say they are
Criminal records searches. Random drug testing. Reference checks. Everything for a comprehensive picture of your prospective employees.
Call us at 800.324.7700 for details.
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