| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Hybrid Working Gains Popularity: Is Your Screening Program Ready? | |
Hybrid working is winning hearts and minds among both employees and HR leaders, according to a recent survey. The study, conducted by LinkedIn, revealed that a whopping 86% of employees and 81% of HR leaders have positive sentiments about hybrid working models.
- Why the love? Flexibility and work-life balance top the list of reasons. Employees appreciate the ability to choose where they work, which can boost productivity and job satisfaction. HR leaders, on the other hand, see hybrid working as a strategic advantage for talent retention and attraction.
- Challenges remain: Despite the optimism, there are hurdles to overcome. Ensuring effective communication, maintaining team cohesion, and managing remote work resources are ongoing concerns. 44% of employees worry about feeling isolated, while 36% of HR leaders highlight the need for better remote collaboration tools. Both employees and HR leaders agree that these challenges need to be addressed for hybrid working to reach its full potential.
- The bottom line: Hybrid working is here to stay, with companies increasingly adopting flexible work policies to meet the evolving needs of their workforce. The shift towards hybrid models is expected to continue growing, transforming how we think about work environments.
Essential Steps to Prepare for Expanded Hybrid Work Arrangements EDIFY recommends you take the following essential steps to ensure that your background screening program is ready for expanded hybrid work arrangements. Assess and Update Policies: - Review and revise your current background screening policies to accommodate remote hiring and onboarding processes. Ensure that policies are compliant with local, state, and federal regulations, including FCRA guidelines.
- Incorporate specific provisions for remote work, such as remote Form i9 and eVerify, and electronic consent forms.
Implement Technology Solutions: - Utilize our secure Applicant Management Center that supports digital signatures and secure data transfer for submitting and processing background checks.
Enhance Communication and Training: - Provide clear guidelines to candidates about the remote background check process, including steps they need to take and the documentation required.
Maintain Team Cohesion and Employee Support: - Address concerns about isolation and team cohesion by fostering regular virtual check-ins and team-building activities.
- Encourage open communication and provide support resources for remote employees.
- Ensure that employees have access to reliable remote work resources and support systems to maintain productivity and job satisfaction.
Enhance Background Screening: - Expand background checks to include comprehensive seven-year criminal history searches, employment verifications, and education verifications.
- Establish a clear policy related to workspace security, including secure internet connections and proper handling of sensitive information. Educate employees on best practices for maintaining security while working remotely.
By following these steps, employers can ensure their background screening program is robust, compliant, and effective in supporting the shift to expanded hybrid work arrangements. | | Negligent Hiring: Plaintiff Sues City of Saint Petersburg Over Playground Injury | | The City of Saint Petersburg, FL, is facing a lawsuit following a playground injury that plaintiff Tanya Johnson claims was due to negligent hiring practices. Johnson alleges that the city employed unqualified personnel to maintain and inspect the playground equipment, leading to her daughter's severe injury. In the lawsuit filed last week, Johnson argues that the city failed to ensure that its maintenance staff had the necessary expertise and training. This negligence, she claims, resulted in unsafe conditions at the playground, specifically faulty jungle gym equipment that caused her daughter to fall and sustain significant injuries.
Negligent hiring at the core: Johnson's complaint emphasizes the city's responsibility to hire competent individuals for public safety roles. The lawsuit seeks compensation for medical costs, emotional distress, and other damages, attributing the incident to the city's lax hiring standards.Broader implications: The case has raised questions about municipal hiring practices and could lead to stricter qualifications and training requirements for city employees involved in public safety and maintenance.
Steps You Can Take To Protect Your Organization: Negligent hiring and retention suits are increasingly common and usually result in very large settlements and sometimes multi-million dollar verdicts. This is especially true for organizations that have employees and/or volunteer driving for the organization or working at client locations. Therefore, EDIFY recommends the following steps to protect against negligent hiring and retention. Credentialing and Verification: - Verify educational qualifications, professional licenses, and past employment.
- Ensure individuals possess necessary qualifications and are suited for their roles.
Background Checks: - Conduct detailed background checks, including criminal history.
- Motor Vehicle Record check for anyone driving for the organization, whether it be a company car or their own personal vehicle, because you can still be liable if driving is for business purposes.
- Annual rechecks, especially for recent criminal history including violence, sex-offenses, theft, and drugs offenses.
Documentation and Audits: - Keep detailed records of all checks and verifications conducted.
- Perform regular audits to ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
Implementing these practices can help organizations mitigate risks associated with negligent hiring and retention, ensuring they employ qualified and vetted personnel. | | | | | | | | | | Adverse Action Process: What You Need to Know | |
Welcome to the world of employment background checks—a crucial step in hiring that ensures workplace safety and integrity. Today, we’re diving into the concept of adverse action, a term that might sound intimidating but plays a vital role in hiring decisions.
- What is Adverse Action? Adverse action occurs when an employer decides not to hire, promote, or retain someone based on findings in a background check. It’s not just about finding something bad; it’s about finding the right fit for the role. For example, it wouldn’t be ideal to hire someone convicted of bank robbery as a bank teller.
- What is an Adverse Action Notice: If a background check would cause an employer not to hire, promote, or transfer an individual then the employer sends what's called a "pre-adverse action notice" to the candidate. This heads-up includes a notice that the organization is considering taking adverse action, a copy of the background report, and a summary of the candidate's rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This is then followed by the Post-Adverse Action notice (or just Adverse Action Notice) after a minimum 5 day waiting period, giving the applicant time to dispute any inaccuracies in the initial report.
Adverase Action Steps Employers Must Follow Under the FCRA: - Pre-Adverse Action Notification: Provide the candidate with a pre-adverse action notice, a copy of the background check report, a Summary of their rights under FCRA, and any additional required state adverse action notices.
- Waiting Period: Allow at least five business days for the candidate to review and dispute any inaccuracies they believe to be shown the background report.
- Final Adverse Action Notice: If proceeding with adverse action, send a final adverse action notice including the decision, the reporting agency’s contact details, a copy of the background report, and the summary of rights under the FCRA.
Candidate’s Receiving Pre-Adverse Action Letter: Receiving one of these letters might feel disheartening to many candidates, but recruiters can certainly lesson the sting by letting candidates know that this is an opportunity for them to review the findings, correct mistakes, and provide additional context, as many employers today follow the EEOC's guidance by conducting "individualized assessments" before taking final adverse action.
The Silver Lining: While Adverse Action may seem like just another hoop to jump through as an employer, Adverse action actually ensures fairness and transparency in hiring and offers candidates the opportunity to correct errors in their records which can help keep employers from discarding an otherwise qualifed applicant.
How We Help Our Clients With One-Click Adverse Action Processing EDIFY's advanced technology enables clients to swiftly initiate pre- and post-adverse action notices, including a copy of the report, a Summary of Rights, and any additional required notices. - This process is seamlessly integrated into your client interface; and accessible directly from the results table by selecting "Adverse Action" from the dropdown menu for the applicant.
- Our system provides all necessary documents to ensure compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), streamlining the adverse action process and ensuring efficient and compliant handling of consumer information.
- Click HERE to download our complete Adverse Action Guide.
NOTE: Please be advised that following the Adverse Action Process as described in the FCRA is required by Federal law. Any failure to comply with adverse action requirements can result in serious legal and financial consequences. | | | | PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT: Education Verifications | | | | EDIFY OFFERS ENHANCED EDUCATION VERIFICATIONS | | In today's competitive job market, verifying the educational credentials of potential employees is more crucial than ever. Recent statistics reveal alarming trends in diploma fraud, with certain states emerging as hotspots for diploma mills. According to GetEducated.com, states like California, Florida, and Texas are leading in the production of fake degrees, posing significant risks to employers who may unknowingly hire unqualified candidates. It is estimated that over 300 diploma mills are currently operating in the United States.
Key Considerations from the U.S. Department of Education: - Degrees in Exchange for Payment: Diploma mills offer degrees for a flat fee, requiring little or no coursework, with some charging anywhere from $250 for a 4-year degree to $5,000 for a Phd.
- Rise in Diploma Mills: The number of diploma mills has surged due to increasing demand for higher education credentials. Reports indicate that diploma mills are responsible for tens of thousands of fraudulent degrees being awarded each year.
- Lack of Accreditation: Many diploma mills claim accreditation from fake accrediting agencies, deceiving employers and students alike. Approximately 40% of diploma mills use these fake accrediting agencies.
- Global Issue: Diploma mills are not confined to the United States; they are a growing problem worldwide. In the UK, it is estimated that over 200,000 individuals have purchased fake degrees.
- Employer Risks: Hiring individuals with fake degrees can lead to legal liabilities, reputational damage, and financial loss. A survey found that 34% of employers have encountered at least one fake degree in job applications.
But at EDIFY Background Screening we have you covered by offering comprehensive Education Verification services designed to protect your organization from these risks and ensure you hire qualified and trustworthy employees.
Our Education Verification Services Include: Accurate Degree Verification: Where we contact educational institutions directly or through their designated 3rd party services to verify degrees, diplomas, and certifications, ensuring the credentials provided by your candidates are legitimate. This step ensures that 100% of educational claims are verified for authenticity. Institution Accreditation Check: Where we verify the accreditation status of the educational institutions attended by your candidates, ensuring they meet recognized standards of quality and credibility. This verification helps in filtering out the 40% of diploma mills that use fake accrediting agencies. Identification of Diploma Mills: Where we vigilantly identify and flag degrees obtained from known diploma mills, protecting your organization from hiring individuals with fraudulent qualifications. This helps reduce the risk posed by the estimated 300 diploma mills operating in the U.S.
Why Utilize Our Education Verification Services - Protect Against Fraud: Our thorough verification process helps identify and prevent fraudulent educational claims, ensuring you hire candidates with genuine qualifications. This reduces the risk of hiring individuals with fake degrees by up to 50%.
- Maintain Compliance: We ensure all verifications comply with federal, state, and local regulations, reducing your legal risks and maintaining your organization's integrity. Compliance helps in avoiding potential fines and legal issues associated with negligent hiring.
- Customized Solutions: Our education verifications can be added to any package to meet the specific needs of your organization, regardless of size or industry.
- Expert Support: Our team of professionals is always available to assist you with any questions or concerns, providing you with the support you need throughout the hiring process.
Ensuring the integrity of your hiring process is essential. Enhance your recruitment strategy with EDIFY's Education Verification services and protect your organization from the risks associated with diploma fraud.
Click the button below to learn more about our Education Verification services and take advantage of a special offer we have going on now when you add education verifications to your packages! | | | | | | | | | | | | Check out these two love bugs sent in by Shelby H. an HR Manager in TN who writes... "The first picture is of my calico Kiwi and the second photo is of my boy cat, King! Fun fact is we found both of our cats as kittens who were strays! We have now had them for 9 years and couldn’t imagine life without them. They have been with me and my husband through dating to engagement to marriage and now our first child!
Show off your pet in the next issue by sending us a picture and bio of your favorite.
| | | | | | | |  CONTACT US: If you have feedback or a question, feel free to email or call.
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