Pre-Employment Screening | Criminal, Civil, DMV Background Checks & Investigations

Social Security Number Trace
The Social Security Number trace will reveal all names associated with the number provided. Aliases and the fraudulent use of a number will be revealed. Previous addresses will also be identified. The trace will reveal counties or states, in which the applicant resided, that may not have been listed on the employment application. Counties of residence revealed, via the Social Security Trace, will be searched for public records. The address information may also disclose inconsistencies in the residence and employment histories.

Criminal Convictions
Employment Check’s court runner network can provide information from any county in the United States. A search for both felony and misdemeanor convictions will be conducted in the applicable counties. In most cases, information gleaned from the on-site criminal search will be reported to you in 24 to 72 hours. Pursuant to the Federal Clarification Act, Employment Check will report all criminal convictions identified, irrespective of the date of conviction. Pursuant to California law convictions that from the date of disposition, release or parole antedate the report by more than seven years cannot be reported in that state only.

Employment Check offers statewide searches for criminal convictions in Washington, Texas, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, New York and Colorado.

Department of Motor Vehicles
A statewide search of DMV records for the state, in which the applicant is licensed, can be conducted. DUI’s, Failures to Appear (which are indicative of existing bench warrants), citations, accidents, and other departmental actions will be reported. A history of multiple DUI or suspensions may be indicative of persons who find it difficult to follow policies and procedures, or have a substance abuse problem.

The DMV search also serves as a mechanism to validate proper names, aliases and the correct date of birth. Because many companies are now conducting pre-employment screening, the savvy convicted felon knows to submit incorrect data to avoid the detection of existing criminal convictions. DMV records minimize the likelihood of missing convictions due to improper data.

Civil Filings
Civil Filings will reveal litigation, in which the subject is a party. The inquiry will provide a profile for individuals whom appear to have a litigious proclivity. Frivolous litigation and fraudulent worker’s compensation claims continue to plague employers. This search may help uncover the likelihood of such claims.

In recent years, a trend by employers to recover embezzlement and internal theft losses via a civil filing, rather than pursuing recovery using the often overburdened criminal justice system, has increased. County and state agencies have also begun a move to recover losses from fraudulent claims through civil litigation. A review of civil filings will reveal litigation associated with the aforementioned acts.

Employment/Education Verification
Employment for the preceding seven year period will be conducted by our staff. College degrees will be verified via the listed university’s registrar.

To identify inconsistencies and gaps in an applicant’s employment history our researchers will contact previous employers. Dates of employment will be verified. Inquiries regarding position held and eligibility for re-hire will be made. The contact person and telephone number used will be provided.

Sexual Offender Inquiry
Pursuant to Assembly Bill 1562, now known as “Megan’s Law”, Employment Check will query the statewide sexual offender database on each applicant. The bill was signed by Governor Pete Wilson on September 25, 1996 and took effect immediately.

The Megan’s Law statute calls for the delineation of “serious”, “high risk”, and “other” sex offenders. “Serious” sex offenders are identified as individuals whom have been convicted of at least one of the following charges:

Assault with the intent to commit rape, oral copulation, or sodomy

Rape

Sodomy with a minor or by force

Lewd or lascivious conduct with a child or a dependent adult

Oral copulation with a minor or by force

Continuous sexual abuse of a child

Child Molestation

Penetration with a foreign object by force

Kidnapping with intent to commit specified sex offenses

Felony sexual battery

Felony enticement of a child for purposes of prostitution

Abduction of a child for purposes of prostitution

“High Risk” offenders are “serious” offenders who have been convicted of multiple violent crimes, at least one of which was a violent sex crime. The identity of “high risk” and “serious offenders” is available pursuant to Megan’s Law.

“Other” offenders are registrants convicted of pornography, exhibitionism, misdemeanor sexual battery, incest, or spousal rape. Information on these offenders is not disseminated by law enforcement and is not available pursuant to Megan’s Law.

Credit History
Prior to the Fair Credit Reporting Act amendments of 1996 and the increased attention by privacy advocates, fueled by the increasing occurrence of identity theft, employers routinely obtained credit reports on prospective job applicants. More recently; however, many labor law firms caution employers to carefully consider the ramifications of blanket policies requiring credit checks for all positions, with little regard for applicability to the job description. 11 U.S.C. §525 of the federal Bankruptcy Act specifically prohibits discrimination of an applicant based solely on the individual having filed for bankruptcy. To avoid invasion-of-privacy and employment discrimination claims the prudent employer must craft a policy requiring credit checks based on a “legitimate, competing interest” of security, requiring the use of credit reports only where the applicant’s potential position entails significant access to money or valuables of the employer or its’ employees, customers, clients, visitors or residents. Such precautions will greatly reduce the likelihood of liability under federal and state law, but will not totally immunize an employer against the inherent risks involved.

An employer must be prepared to explain the job-related reasons why an applicant’s credit history renders the applicant unsuitable for a particular position. Additionally, the employer is tasked with creating defendable criteria for what is unacceptable and acceptable credit, a very subjective endeavor.

Drug/Alcohol Results
To identify accidents and injuries resulting from the misuse of alcohol or use of controlled substances by drivers in the aviation, trucking, railroad, mass transit, pipeline or maritime industries, or DOT identified safety-sensitive positions of commercial motor vehicles. Our staff will contact current/former employers, in which your applicant was required to submit to DOT drug and/or alcohol testing, to retrieve testing results.