AccuScreen CEO Kevin Connell Speaking at HR Florida State Convention

Employment Background Investigations, Kevin Connell, will present a session at the HR Florida State Council Conference in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 11:45 am titled “Resume Fraud in Today’s Economy & Negligent Hiring”.

Join Kevin Connell to learn the types of resume fraud most common in today’s economy, as well as, the shocking cost of Employee Theft. Kevin will also present on Negligent Hiring and how HR professionals can reduce such risks.

Hurrican Irene – Lab Testing Delays

As a result of Hurricane Irene, the LabCorp Occupational Testing Services laboratory located in Raritan, NJ is currently experiencing a power outage. While the laboratory is without full power, LabCorp will reroute drug test specimens to its Research Triangle Park, NC and Southaven, MS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) certified laboratories.

Please be aware that you may experience delays in specimen transportation in areas where flights were cancelled and roadways closed due to unsafe traveling conditions.

Due to the potential for storm-related damage on the East Coast as a result of Hurricane Irene, your lab for specimen collection may be delayed in opening or closing for the next few days. Please call us if you have any questions or concerns at 800-689-2228 ext# 1100

We apologize for any delays you may experience during the storm recovery period. Please rest assured that LabCorp’s staff is working diligently to minimize the impact of this storm upon your organization’s testing programs.

We will provide updated information as it becomes available.

Background Checks : Who is watching your employees?

Over and over the news covers employee fraud and employee embezzlement. Our goal at AccuScreen is to help business get wise about who their hiring, by doing a background check and a making each employee accountable to someone. Read below a recent case dealing with payroll fraud.

Geselle Savoy, 52, of Alamogordo, N.M., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Lemmon to conspiring to commit federal program fraud while working as a testing technician for the Jefferson public schools, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office.

Savoy admitted that from February 2007 to September 2009 she submitted fraudulent payroll documents for herself and three other school system employees to receive about $132,000 in payments and stipends from the district. The payments came through the LEAP program, Graduate Exit Examination tutoring fund, Education Excellent fund and general fund.

Neither Savoy nor her co-defendants, Amanda Jackson, Danay Jackson and Tracy Walker, were certified teachers or qualified to perform testing or tutoring. Amanda Jackson and Savoy are cousins, and Danay Jackson is Amanda’s daughter.

According to court records, Savoy admitted receiving about $38,000 in payments personally and she processed fraudulent payroll sheets for the other co-defendants that totaled thousands of dollars each. The employees were submitting false overtime records and were able to access the school system’s financial database despite not being authorized for that access, according to court documents.

Savoy is set to be sentenced Oct. 12. She faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Check Driving Records – Pennsylvania bill would require English-only CDL testing

Does your driver know the English Language? A new bill being passed thru the states is making sure that aspiring truck drivers have an understanding before obtaining a cdl license.

With the majority of state legislatures having wrapped up their work for the year, lawmakers in various states, including Pennsylvania, continue to discuss bills of relevance to the trucking industry. In the Keystone State, one bill – HB1180 – is intended to ensure that aspiring truck drivers have a firm grasp of the English language before they obtain a commercial driver’s license. There are nine states that already limit licensing tests for regular driver’s licenses to English only. About a half dozen states have the language mandate for commercial drivers. In contrast, five states offer their tests in at least 17 languages. California leads the nation with 32 language offerings. Pennsylvania law now limits the written or oral portion of the knowledge test for CDLs to be given in English or Spanish. A bill in the House Transportation Committee would mandate the state’s CDL test to be given entirely in English. Supporters say they are concerned that people are allowed to drive on roads without a command of the English language. They say it’s a matter of safety. Another argument in favor of outlawing tests in other languages is concern about lawsuits alleging a state favors one language over another.Opponents say there are no studies that suggest English proficiency makes better drivers. They also note that legislative efforts do not apply to illiterate residents. A similar effort could be considered next year at the Tennessee statehouse. A bill in the state Senate would narrow the language options on the state’s written portion of the driver’s license exam, including commercial licenses, from four to one. Tennessee now permits exams to be conducted in English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. If approved, the state would mandate all portions of the exam to be administered in English. The bill has been deferred from consideration until lawmakers return to the capitol in 2012.

How Popeyes is Preventing Fraud.

Popeyes is fighting fraud.

Popeyes has rolled out a preventive measure in 148 stores by using fingerprint biometrics as a part of their point-of-sale (POS) systems. By using the biometric readers for time and attendance, employees can no longer punch in for one another, dramatically reducing payroll fraud. This new system has improved employee accountability, increased sales, and reduced both unauthorized transactions and payroll fraud. As a result, the Popeye’s locations with fingerprint-equipped POS systems have experienced a decrease in overrides and inventory losses due to fraud.

How is your company fighting fraud?

Top 7 Commandments in Using Facebook in the Hiring & Screening Process

The rapid rise of  social media has drastically & permanently altered the world of employment screening, not always to the benefit of employers. Our focus is to help employers understand that even accurate information found online cannot always be legally used as a consideration in employment decisions.

Here are our “Top 7 Commandments in Using Facebook in the Hiring & Screening Process”.

1. Know What is Real or Fake

2. Beware of Too Much Information

3. FCRA Compliance Consent and Third Parties

4. Verify that it is Real: “Identity Issues”

5. Have a Social Media Policy in Place

6. Use Web Tools Wisely

7. Never Forget “The Streisand Effect”

Add Your Email Below to Get the PowerPoint of “Top 7 Commandments of Using Facebook in the Screening and Hiring Process”. Email Address *

Employee Embezzlement: Whose Hand is in Your Cookie Jar?

The importance of employment screening firms and the services they provide, such as criminal background checks, has become a necessity in today’s workplace. Stories of employees involved in embezzlement, felonies and fraud are all over the daily news. These crimes are surprisingly common in the Unites States but the question remains, “why are employees thieving from the hands that feed them?” Although people have a hard time understanding the reasons why, greed is usually the primary these employees commit crimes.

Many employees struggling financially opt to steal from their place of employment instead of finding extra work while those who want an extravagant lifestyle are willing to do the same. Revenge or justice is another reason why some employees steal from their employer. Whatever the reason, the next potential employer of these employees should be warned before the hiring process even begins. A complete criminal background check by a reputable pre-employment screening firm is essential!

Your company is put in a position of higher risk if you do not follow through with pre-employment screening during the hiring process. In May 2011, office manager and bookkeeper for Rinos & Martin, LLP, Donna Joy Henderson, was found guilty of embezzling over $502,000. This employee was completely unsuspecting as she had worked for the company for more than 9 years and was in a position of trust. It took a new accountant to discover a check marked void but paid to Henderson. Which led to a further investigation uncovering $502,000 worth of voided checks written out to Henderson. This embezzling employee confessed and admitted to using the company’s money to pay personal expenses. A sentence for this type of crime could range from 24-30 months in prison. Once this employee serves her punishment she will once again be job searching. A smart company will use employment screening and criminal background checks to filter through potential employees who pose such risks. Screening firms have access to more thorough databases and are quick and accurate with their findings. Don’t consider hiring without using a trusted provider of background information or your workplace could have some shifty employees!

Weed Out The Weiners: Kevin Connell, AccuScreen Employment Screening Expert, To Give Best Practices

Join CEO of employment screening company AccuScreen.com, Kevin Connell, as he presents, “The 7 Commandments Of Using Social Media in the Screening Process,” on June 15th at the HR Tampa Dinner Meeting. Recruiters and human resource specialists will learn methods and best practices to screen potential candidates without fear of legal repercussions.

TAMPA FL – Eager to avoid repeat occurrences of the Anthony Weiner scandal, recruiters and HR professionals are becoming more vigilant about pre employment screening than ever. Kevin Connell, CEO of AccuScreen, will be presenting at the HR Tampa Dinner Meeting on June 15th at 5:30pm, which will be held at the Centre Club in Tampa, Florida. In addition to discussing standard techniques, such as an employment criminal background check, Connell will also shed light on legal and ethical methods to utilize social media screening, should employers wish to vet selections in that manner.

In his years of seeing the hiring process change with technology, Connell has gathered best practices, tips and tricks to gather pertinent information about potential new employees. His presentation, “The Seven Commandments of Using Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter as part of the Screening and Hiring Process,” will show attendees how they verify authenticity of collected information, and the pitfalls of not doing a thorough pre-employment screening. The full screening process should be disclosed to every applicant, including what resources the company plans to check. Also included in this presentation will be previously unheard-of ways to prevent anyone from hacking into a Facebook account.

“We want to make sure that companies, should they choose to vet applicants through social media, are doing so in a way that is not only effective, but legal and ethical. We’re looking forward to this opportunity to help recruiters and HR specialists feel more confident in their new hires,” said Kevin Connell, CEO and founder of AccuScreen.com (http://www.accuscreen.com)

Connell is a nationally recognized speaker known for his expertise on human resource topics including negligent hiring, employee theft, and resume fraud. He routinely speaks at human resources conferences and has also offered expert testimony before the Florida Supreme Court.

“Effective employment screening is often one of the best tools any company can put to use, as it results in higher quality, more productive and more loyal employees. We want to show you how to go about this important step properly, so that the applicant full understands and you can utilize the information collected,” Connell said.

“Social media use has skyrocketed and because of that, employers are more open to lawsuits or problems stemming from an employee’s down time. One example is the recent case in Albuquerque where a police officer was reprimanded after listing his employment as ‘human waste disposal.’ This embarrassed the department and spurred changes to the department’s social media policy. To further protect their companies, employers need to drastically alter the way human resource professionals performs each and every employment criminal background check, but also spell out a clear social media policy for after the hiring process is complete. I hope to help employers gain a better understanding of legal issues that result from using online information to make hiring decisions,” concluded Connell.

The presentation will take place on June 15th, from 5:30 to 8:30pm at the Centre Club, which is located at 123 S West Shore Blvd. in Tampa, Florida. This presentation has also been preapproved for recertification credits by HRCI. AccuScreen.com is pleased to be an approved provider by HRCI.

Learn 3 Hiring Tips that will Assure a Right Hire Every time!

Managers often blame themselves when an employee is fired for reasons that can include underperformance issues or the wrong qualifications. Instead of blaming themselves, managers should review their hiring strategies and think about changing the way things are done in their office.

Turnover rates are one of the biggest challenges for companies. Reviewing your hiring strategies and procedures on a regular basis can help specify exact problem areas that are in need of improvements. For example, you could reanalyze your hiring policies, use pre-employment screening firms and use department head expertise to help select the right candidate from the potential client pool.

First, it is worth re-evaluating your hiring procedures to find the fine-line between over and under hiring employees. In doing so, you can help stop two major problem points:

1. Having two many employees on staff and too little work that needs to be done.

2. Over-working the current employees because there are not enough people to cover all necessary work.

The consequence of either situation can be a high turnover rate. Over-hiring can cause employees who are constantly bored with their positions. This could potentially lead to higher resignations. Staffing cuts are another downside to have two many employees in the office. When sales coming in do not exceed payroll, unfortunately cuts must be made. Employees who are overworked often struggle to keep up with projects and end up making mistakes. They are also more prone to resigning out of frustration. Neither side of the spectrum is good for your business.

Secondly, invest some time in reviewing what type of employment screening service your company uses. You should be looking for an employment screening firm that has qualities such as a reputation for doing excellent work, provides accurate reports, and does their work in an realistic amount of time.

Finally, using your office’s current job description can help you weed out resumes that have lies on them. A department manager can review the job requirements for that position and evaluate the skills that the job posting is advertising for. If a department head looks over a few of the most qualified applicant’s resumes he/she can help you weed out those ‘exaggerated’ resumes and truly decipher the technical aptitude of a potential employee.

It doesn’t matter what job you are hiring for but remember the benefits of a pre-employment screening firm. Using this service and the three hiring strategies discussed, reviewing your hiring policies, making sure you are using a reputable employment screening firm, and having a department head look at potential employee’s resumes, will help your company save valuable time and money!

Does Your Office Have a Disgruntled Employee?

Offices often have to deal with disgruntled employees or employees who are living a double life. Unfortunately, every once in a while a disgruntled employee or an employee with unknown or hidden background will actually be hired. The new era of social media and interaction on the Internet has magnified the severity of the outbursts from disgruntled employees and can affect an office atmosphere. The line has to be drawn when such behavior disturbs office productivity and causes tension between employees. The examples included below are from real-life employees who were outed and caught on social networking sites. It stresses the importance of a criminal background check and pre employment screening on every potential employee!

1. Buckingham Palace Guardsman Cameron Reilly isn’t Kate Middleton’s biggest fan and was quickly fired after his Facebook post leaked through to the entire public. He posted: “Hur and william drove past me on Friday n all a got was a wave while she looked the opposite way from me, stupid stuck up cow am I not good enough for them!” With open comments like the one above, is not hard to imagine what happened next.

2. After tweeting jokes about the disaster in Japan, Gilbert Gottfried was fired from his job as the Aflac duck voice. Although the jokes were from his Twitter account, Japan notified the company and they quickly released him as they deal with 75% of Japan’s business and tried to respect the devastation occurring in the country.

3. A burlesque dancer who went by the name Professor Shimmy had her identity revealed over some performances posted on You Tube and was fired from her job for her after-hour activities. According to new reports, she was an associate professor at John F. Kennedy University and the University was not impressed with her burlesque hobby believing it would hinder her credibility as a professor. In March, she sued the university over firing her.

4. In a place where smoking is banned on campus, the last person you’d expect to break the rules would be the school principal. However, that was just what happened when the Principal of Central High School in Providence, Rhode Island, decided to smoke on campus. A student snapped a shot of her smoking and posted it to his Web site. He then proceeded to pass out flyers all around campus urging other students to visit his site and view the picture. Little did he know that by doing this he’d be granted several days off from school (what a punishment)! Once the local news caught wind of what happened, the student’s suspension was stopped.

Many and most employees seem to be honest, upstanding citizens but their personal lives and activities can speak more about them than anything else. Discover what your employees are doing in their spare time and from now on hire only potential employees with clean records.

Pre Employment Screening Can Help Prevent Dealing with Disgruntled Employees

Offices often have to deal with disgruntled employees or employees who are living a double life. Unfortunately, every once in a while a disgruntled employee or an employee with unknown or hidden background will actually be hired. The new era of social media and interaction on the Internet has magnified the severity of the outbursts from disgruntled employees and can affect an office atmosphere. The line has to be drawn when such behavior disturbs office productivity and causes tension between employees. The examples included below are from real-life employees who were outed and caught on social networking sites. It stresses the importance of a criminal background check and pre employment screening on every potential employee!

1. Buckingham Palace Guardsman Cameron Reilly isn’t Kate Middleton’s biggest fan and was quickly fired after his Facebook post leaked through to the entire public. He posted: “Hur and William drove past me on Friday n all a got was a wave while she looked the opposite way from me, stupid stuck up cow am I not good enough for them!” With open comments like the one above, is not hard to imagine what happened next.

2. A burlesque dancer who went by the name Professor Shimmy had her identity revealed over some performances posted on You Tube and was fired from her job for her after-hour activities. According to new reports, she was an associate professor at John F. Kennedy University and the University was not impressed with her burlesque hobby believing it would hinder her credibility as a professor. In March, she sued the university over firing her.

3. In a place where smoking is banned on campus, the last person you’d expect to break the rules would be the school principal. However, that was just what happened when the Principal of Central High School in Providence, Rhode Island, decided to smoke on campus. A student snapped a shot of her smoking and posted it to his Web site. He then proceeded to pass out flyers all around campus urging other students to visit his site and view the picture. Little did he know that by doing this he’d be granted several days off from school (what a punishment)! Once the local news caught wind of what happened, the student’s suspension was stopped.

4. After tweeting jokes about the disaster in Japan, Gilbert Gottfried was fired from his job as the Aflac duck voice. Although the jokes were from his Twitter account, Japan notified the company and they quickly released him as they deal with 75% of Japan’s business and tried to respect the devastation occurring in the country.

Many and most employees seem to be honest, upstanding citizens but their personal lives and activities can speak more about them than anything else. Discover what your employees are doing in their spare time and from now on hire only potential employees with clean records.

Are Your Employees Being Held Accountable?

Are your employees held accountable? Fraud can cost your business everything. It is something that in reality many companies face due to an unexpecting employee who becomes desperate. For example a most recent story is of Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands. They are facing tough decisions on how to stay open and what to cut back on due to an employee who started to skim off the top which turned into embezzling $30,000 in two years.

Misti Moore was the administrative assistant who started to take small amounts from the memorial to cover her gambling debts, but two years into taken money it turned into $30,000. Moore would write checks to herself and then go to great lengths to electronically alter the records that came back from the bank to make it appear that those checks were being written to legitimate businesses.

Everyone was blown away by the fact that Moore was so unassuming, and would have never imagined she would do such a thing. Because of cutbacks Moore was laid off and that is when the embezzlement came to light. The person who replaced her noticed the irregularities in the banking and notified the police. Moore is being charged with embezzlement, and now Lincoln Memorial Shrine is looking at ways to keep the doors open.

Lincoln Memorial Shrine is now making changes by having a job once performed by one person dealing with the money will now be handled by three staffers who will keep an eye on the accounts and, by default, each other. Are you making sure your employees are held accountable? Setting up systems where not one is in charge of all the accounts, but everyone is held accountable is one way to prevent fraud. Make sure you have a system in place where pre employment background screening is first and systems are second when it comes to employment.

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