New Jersey Bill Seek to Prohibit Employers from Requiring or Obtaining Credit Checks

On May 31, 2012, the Senate approved a bill (S455) that would prohibit employers from seeking credit checks on employees or applicants under most circumstances. The bill now heads to the Assembly for its consideration, where the bill already has several supporters. This bill prohibits an employer from requiring a credit check on a current or […]

Michigan Joins Other States to Ban Requiring Social Media Passwords

House Bill 5523, introduced by Reps. Aric Nesbitt and Paul Opsommer, would bar employers and educational institutions from requiring employees, job applicants, students and prospective students to disclose their passwords, usernames or log-in information to social networking sites. The bill would also bar employers and educational institutions from discharging, disciplining, failing to hire or otherwise […]

Nebraska Passes Job Reference Immunity Law

Nebraska has joined other states in granting civil immunity to employers seeking reference information about applicants they are about to hire. The new law authorizes employers to gather the following information from previous employers, provided they get a written consent from the applicant. (1) Dates and duration of employment; (2) Final pay rate and wage […]

Social Networking Online Protection Act (SNOPA) Introduced

Congressman Eliot Engel and Rep. Jan Schakowsky introduced a legislation to protect users of social networking sites from having to divulge personal information to employers, schools and universities. The legislation protects people already employed or enrolled, and those seeking employment or admittance, or those facing disciplinary action. The bill called Social Networking Online Protection Act […]

EEOC Issues Guidelines for Criminal Checks in Background Screening

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued new guidelines for employers on the use of criminal background checks when hiring new employees.  “The new guidance clarifies and updates the EEOC’s longstanding policy concerning the use of arrest and conviction records in employment, which will assist job seekers, employees, employers, and many other agency stakeholders,” said […]

Steps to Conduct an I-9 Audit

Gather all I-9s on file: the very first step while conducting an I-9 audit would be to gather up all I-9s. This will give you an idea of whether there are any missing forms, help you better organize those with incorrect information and give direction on what steps are to be taken. Once all the […]

Amendment to Massachusetts Criminal History Check from May 4th 2012

In 2010, Massachusetts enacted a new law governing the use of criminal records for employment in Massachusetts and the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Reform Act will become effective from May 4, 2012. The act will allow all employers access to a new online records system, but it also imposes obligations on employers that acquire […]

Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know

Your company has job vacancies to fill. You’re also thinking about promoting some employees from within the company. You’ve winnowed down the stack of applications and resumes and want to run background checks through a third party company who is in the business of compiling background information. Employment background checks also are known as consumer […]

Drug Tests: What You Need to Know

The purpose of employee testing is to provide an employer with a means to predict how well an individual will perform on the job. Hiring the wrong people can prove to be an expensive proposition over time because selection errors can have a negative impact on employee morale and management time, waste valuable training and […]