Friday, October 22, 2004
Pre Employment Screening - Misdemeanors
In conducting employee background checks, it is obviously a good idea to verify that the applicant has no criminal record. Many companies think that searching for Felony offenses is sufficient. They figure that they should keep felons out of their workforce. However, this reasoning is faulty on two levels.
First, excluding an applicant just because they have a felony is not necessarily a good policy. Of course, if the person lied on their application by neglecting to mention their criminal past, then there are certainly grounds to deny employment. However, if the applicant is honest about his/her background, then they should not be rejected simply for having a felony in their past. Companies need to take into account the severity and relevancy of the felony crime. If the offense is deep in the past or has no relevancy to the job at hand, then the employer should not take adverse action.
Second, simply looking for felonies during the pre employment screening process is not enough. Misdemeanors are thought of as minor offenses. Misdemeanors are generally those offenses that can result in fines of less than $1000 or jail terms of less than one year in a county facility. However, they include serious offenses such as:
• Petty Theft and Grand Theft
• Assault
• Domestic Abuse
• Under the Influence of Narcotics
If violence, theft, and drug use are relevant to the open position (seems relevant to all positions), then misdemeanors should be taken into account during the pre employment screening process as well.
Inquest Pre Employment Screening
First, excluding an applicant just because they have a felony is not necessarily a good policy. Of course, if the person lied on their application by neglecting to mention their criminal past, then there are certainly grounds to deny employment. However, if the applicant is honest about his/her background, then they should not be rejected simply for having a felony in their past. Companies need to take into account the severity and relevancy of the felony crime. If the offense is deep in the past or has no relevancy to the job at hand, then the employer should not take adverse action.
Second, simply looking for felonies during the pre employment screening process is not enough. Misdemeanors are thought of as minor offenses. Misdemeanors are generally those offenses that can result in fines of less than $1000 or jail terms of less than one year in a county facility. However, they include serious offenses such as:
• Petty Theft and Grand Theft
• Assault
• Domestic Abuse
• Under the Influence of Narcotics
If violence, theft, and drug use are relevant to the open position (seems relevant to all positions), then misdemeanors should be taken into account during the pre employment screening process as well.
Inquest Pre Employment Screening
