Employment Screening Services provider AccuScreen Launches Online Background Check Platform Today

Employment Screening Services provider has upgraded their Online Background Check Service with the new Global Control Profile user interface, allowing clients to make changes to new employee background checks more efficiently, while avoiding the need for duplicate orders. Functionality changes include new selection field options, direct document forwarding and multi-browser compatibility.

Tampa, FL – Today, leading employment screening service provider AccuScreen.com is implementing a streamlined user interface, designed to make the process of ordering new employee background checks more efficient. The new Global Profile Control (GPC) interface will allow AccuScreen clients access to new category selection options as well as enabling them to make changes to active employment screening service orders.

“With the new one-page global interface, clients will be able to have a more user-friendly experience. With added functionality, making it easier to add names to an order, and reducing duplicity,” explained Kevin Connell, CEO of AccuScreen.com (http://www.AccuScreen.com).

The GPC interface focusses on efficiency and ease of use. Documents uploaded to an applicant’s profile on the AccuScreen platform will be forwarded directly to AccuScreen for immediate processing, significantly reducing turnaround time. Other functionality improvements made possible by the new GPC interface include:

• International applicant address entry fields
• Free storage area under each applicant profile
• Country selection drop down list
• An order due date option
• Visible position field
• An additional name search service for the National Criminal search and OIG database

In addition to the improved GPC, the AccuScreen interface has now been optimized for multi-browser compatibility. Users of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Apple Safari will all experience the same exemplary functionality.

The AccuScreen platform is capable of handling a wide range of employment screening services from verifying social security numbers, to obtaining driving records for perspective employees. The AccuScreen platform is an all-inclusive suite of services that will ensure employers receive complete and accurate pre-employment screenings. The new GPC interface serves to bolster the high quality of service clients have come to expect from AccuScreen.com.

About AccuScreen:

Since 1994, AccuScreen.com, (http://www.AccuScreen.com) has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world with turnaround times from Instant to 72 hours.

Media Contact:

Sue Marriott
SueMarriott@AccuScreen.com
410 S. Ware Blvd. Suite 607
Tampa, FL 33619
1.800.689.2228 ext # 1100
http://www.AccuScreen.com

Employment Criminal Background Checks: EEOC says “Do as I say, not as I do.”

“HUH?!”

That is the understandable reaction of the majority of American business owners, managers, and HR professionals to the recent EEOC decision to ‘recommend’ that employers refrain from asking applicants about their criminal history on employment applications.  In other words, via the EEOC’s ‘recommendation,’ employers should not concern themselves with a potential employee’s criminal past – regardless of what that past entails.  But, how’s that supposed to work when the rest of the world continues to consider employers responsible for who they hire?

American businesses, some of which have been successfully sued for hiring individuals who have then committed criminal acts while under said business’ employ, have been left shaking their heads.  After all, the legal system has ruled time and time again that businesses themselves are liable for any harm that comes to company employees and/or those with whom employees interact.  To wit, if an employee harms someone while on the job (other employees, customers, clients, etc.), it is not just the employee, but the employer as well who will be held responsible for the harm caused by the employee.  The harmed party has to recover damages from someone, and employees rarely have the resources to compensate victims of crime…. but businesses do.

It’s Called Negligent Hiring, Folks
Most businesses are painfully aware of what can happen if someone under their employ commits a crime.  According to an article published in the Journal of Small Business Management entitled Negligent Hiring: Headaches for the Small Businessperson, such lawsuits have been successful against the employers of bartenders, janitors, drivers, police, hospital personnel, managers, and more.  The article states:
Often the basis of these lawsuits is a claim that in the hiring process the employer was negligent in some way in making employment decisions. The alleged negligence may arise from the employer’s failure to make sufficient inquiry when hiring an employee or additionally may arise if the employer retains an employee when he or she knew or should have known that the employee might have the propensity to injure another person.

The EEOC Catch-22
So, if American businesses are to understand the situation properly, hiring managers should not worry about legal liability if someone they hire commits a crime, right?  Unfortunately, the opposite is true.  Employers will continue to be held responsible for crimes committed by their employees, whether they follow the EEOC’s recommendation to the letter or not.  In fact, any employer who follows this sorely misplaced recommendation is likely to find they’ve landed in a heap of trouble.  Again according to the article in the Journal of Small Business:
The most common employer mistake that leads to liability for negligent hiring and retention is the failure to adequately investigate the background of an applicant when hiring certain types of employees. Most courts have held that background checks are not mandatory prior to an employment decision; however, if circumstances exist that should cause suspicion about an employee’s fitness, the employer has a duty to investigate that suspicion.

Instead, the EEOC have created a Catch-22 for employers.  Don’t ask about employment history and risk being sued.  Run background checks and risk getting sued.

Things that Make You Go Hmmm….
The legal position regarding negligent hiring isn’t new.

In May 2012, a female employee filed a negligent hiring lawsuit against a Roanoke, Virginia, employer after she was sexually assaulted in the employer’s parking lot by another employee who turned out to be a registered sex offender.  In 2008, an accident occurred because a truck driver, apparently coming off drugs, fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of his truck. The driver drove the truck off the road, killing another truck driver who was inspecting his brakes on the shoulder of the highway near Ashland, Oregon. A jury awarded damages of $5.2 million to the victim’s four adult children. The fault was assigned to the driver, Daniel Clarey, his employer Washington Transportation, and also to Heyl Logistics, the broker that provided the load.

But, if the legal system continues to lay the blame for the criminal acts of employees on employers, then shouldn’t the EEOC weigh that issue with their recommendations?

One would assume so.

The Errant EEOC
Since neither logic nor transparency (the EEOC issued their new guidelines without giving American businesses or the American public a chance to weigh in) played a role in the new EEOC guidelines, one has to wonder what they were thinking.  Even the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights isn’t all in on the new EEOC recommendations, citing the unenviable position of employers who have to balance the safety of other employees and customers with avoiding violating Title VII.

Interestingly, since, statistically, background checks seem to bolster hiring decisions regarding minorities, the EEOC appear to be hurting those they profess to protect.

All this aside, what gives the EEOC the right to issue such guidelines?

Nothing.

Although arguably well meaning, the EEOC have way overstepped their own boundaries on this one.  The EEOC have no authority to issue or interpret laws.  According to the EEOC’s own website, the agency have been entrusted with “…the authority to investigate charges of discrimination against employers who are covered by the law. Our role in an investigation is to fairly and accurately assess the allegations in the charge and then make a finding.”

To make matters worse, EEOC Commissioner Constance S. Barker stated:
… we are an enforcement agency; we have the authority to issue, amend, and rescind procedural regulations. We have no authority to make substantive changes to the law by issuing guidance that goes beyond what is contained in the statutes as interpreted by the court. Our job is to call congressional intent interpretations, not make new law. No matter how well intentioned we may be. No matter how much a change in law may be warranted. We simply lack the authority to make those changes to the issuance of guidance. It is congress’s job, not ours to weigh the pros and cons proposed in legislation and approve or disapprove it in congress. We are not part of the legislative branch. It is the job of the court to interpret the laws that congresses pass. We are not the courts; we are not part of the judicial branch. It is our job to explain what is already the law, not to expand it, no matter how much some of us may want Title VII to provide additional protection. We cannot use our authority to issue new guidance to create new rights of protection that Title VII does not provide; if we think Title VII should be expanded, we should make our concerns known to congress, not take it upon ourselves to do congress’s job.

That’s a pretty strong statement by one of the EEOC’s own.

The EEOC vs. Kaplan Higher Education Corporation (“Kaplan”)
In December 2010, the EEOC set the stage for the recent recommendation by trying their edicts in federal court. The EEOC filed a lawsuit against Kaplan alleging that Kaplan’s use of credit checks as part of its background checks for job applicants and employees violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”). Kaplan, however, hasn’t taken the motion lying down, and businesses across the nation are watching intently for the results of the case.

Kaplan, in response to the suit, has filed motions to force the EEOC to disclose its own employment practices regarding background checks, specifically regarding the EEOC’s own guidelines for job’s that have been designated as “public trust” or “national security” positions. Kaplan performs checks based on these designations and so does the EEOC, but the EEOC argues that Kaplan has no right to do so.

And, here’s the real zinger…

“The United States Supreme Court has recognized that background check investigations serve legitimate business purposes for employers.”

Who is the EEOC to argue with the highest court in the land?

The bottom line is that the EEOC have turned down a dangerous path. The agency was supposed to provide new guidance on credit reports on 4/25/2012, not background checks; it’s now apparent why they did not.

The EEOC, by shutting out American businesses and the American public, have sent a message that the EEOC, and the EEOC alone, is solely qualified to issue legal rulings on issues that the government itself has refrained from making.

The EEOC, by failing to gather evidence and statistics that pertain to the issue, have made a rash decision that will prove embarrassing at best and dangerous at worst.

The EEOC, by issuing guidelines at a time when they were obviously unprepared to do so, and were, in fact, more prepared for a retirement party, have caused more harm than not to the individuals it professes to protect.

The EEOC, by making a recommendation that places an undue burden on employers, have opened employers up to increased liability from both job applicants and potential negligent hiring lawsuits as well as muddy the waters for employers trying to abide by state hiring regulations.  The guidelines also strip employees and consumers of their rights to safe harbor.

Do as I Say, Not as I Do
Interestingly, the EEOC is attempting to hold Kaplan to task for engaging in the same employment and pre-employment practices they do. Given that the EEOC clearly believes that such background checks are valuable, it’s difficult to understand why they are electing to engage in a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do way of implementing the nation’s trust.

The EEOC are hurting job creation when the country can least afford it.  The EEOC might believe they are helping minorities when, in fact, they are doing the exact opposite; not just for minorities but for ALL Americans.

EEOC New Guidance: Employee Criminal Background Check: AccuScreen CEO Hosts Webinar on May 1st ENCORE

Kevin Connell, AccuScreen CEO in a ” LIVE” complimentary Webinar on May 1st @ 2 PM EST will unravel and translate what the new guidance issued by the EEOC means for Hiring Managers and Employers in the Use of Arrest & Conviction Records in the Screening & Hiring Process. Due to the Popularity of the Connell’s first  EEOC webinar on April 27 that “SOLD OUT” he is offering this **free** ENCORE Webinar to this who missed out on last week’s webinar!! (Hurry, Limited Spaces!!)

TAMPA FL / April 30, 2012 –  AccuScreen.com, a global employment screening services company will host a webinar to help educate employers on the EEOC’s new guidance on conducting an employee criminal background check on a webinar this Tuesday May 1st at 2:00 PM EST.

Connell will review exactly what is contained in the 52 page document released by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on April 25th. The Commission states that their purpose was to update the Enforcement Guidance on employer use of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Commission voted 4-1 to approve the guidance document. Commissioner Constance Smith Barker voted NO.

Those interested in attending this complimentary webinar can register online at: http://www.accuscreen.com/webinars/

Those who cannot attend the webinar are encouraged to register for the event as a complimentary “Tips for Employers: What You Need to Know about the EEOC’s New Guidance on Criminal Background Checks,’ will be made available to all webinar registrants.

Kevin Connell is available for comment on this subject. For interview inquiries, contact Sue Marriott at 1.800.689.2228 ext. # 1100 or SueMarriott@AccuScreen.com.

EEOC New Guidance on conducting an Employee Criminal Background Check: AccuScreen CEO Hosts Webinar on April 27th

EEOC New Guidance on conducting an Employee Criminal Background Check: AccuScreen CEO Hosts Webinar on April 27th

Kevin Connell, AccuScreen CEO will unravel and translate what the new guidance issued by the EEOC means for Hiring Managers and Employers in the Use of Arrest & Conviction Records in the Screening & Hiring Process.

TAMPA FL / April 26, 2012 –  AccuScreen.com, a global employment screening services company will host a webinar to help educate employers on the EEOC’s new guidance on conducting an employee criminal background check on a webinar this Friday April 27 at 11:00 AM EST.

Connell will review exactly what is contained in the 52 page document released by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on April 25th. The Commission states that their purpose was to update the Enforcement Guidance on employer use of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Commission voted 4-1 to approve the guidance document. Commissioner Constance Smith Barker voted NO.

Those interested in attending this complimentary webinar can register online by clicking here.

Those who cannot attend the webinar are encouraged to register for the event as a complimentary “Tips for Employers: What You Need to Know about the EEOC’s New Guidance on Criminal Background Checks,’ will be made available to all webinar registrants.

Kevin Connell is available for comment on this subject. For interview inquiries, contact Sue Marriott at 1.800.689.2228 ext. # 1100 or SueMarriott@AccuScreen.com.

EEOC Announces Meeting for this Wed April 25 2012 @ 9:30 AM to announce Enforecement Guidelines on Employer’s Use of Credit & Criminal Background Checks

The EEOC has announced today through the Federal Register that it will hold a meeting this Wed April 25 @ 9:30 AM.

Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The location of the meeting will be at the Commission Meeting Room on the First Floor of the EEOC Office Building, 131 “M” Street NE., Washington, DC 20507.

Kevin Connell CEO of AccuScreen.com will be providing a complimentary “LIVE” webinar that will recap the EEOC’s announcements, the webinars will be held on Thursday April 26.

There will be two times offered to choose from the first 1.) 11:00  AM EST ( 8:00 AM Pacific) and the second  2.) 4:00 PM EST ( 1:00 PM Pacific), again, this will serve as a recap of the EEOC’s annouincement, there will be Q & A. This is very important as the EEOC’s announcement will impact thousands of employers from across the country.

Social Media Background Checks: The 7 Commandments of Using Facebook in the Screening Process

We are inviting you to a special webinar entitled “Social Media Background Checks: The 7 Commandments of Using Facebook in the Screening Process”

Date: December 20th, 2011 Tuesday

Time: 2:00 PM EST until 3:00 PM EST

There have been many recent high-profile cases involving an increase in the restrictions put on Employer’s use of Social Media in Hiring and Screening, as well as Employer’s regulation and response to Employee Comments made on Social Media sites, such as Facebook. The NLRB has challenged as unlawful an employer’s discipline of an employee who made comments on a social media site. Whether you want to use sites like Facebook to screen out employees via a social media background check, or use social media sites to monitor your employee’s social media activity, discipline them for what they post, or simply maintain rules that arguably regulate employee conduct, all employers need to understand the evolving rules coming from the NLRB. Additionally, real world practical tips and insider secrets will be shared by Kevin Connell, a social media savvy background check expert. This webinar is a Pre-Approved HRCI Certified Webinar.

Register HERE for this Complimentary Webinar

Bad Santa: Could Your Kid Be Sitting on a Criminal’s Lap?

Background screening expert available to provide tips for a safe holiday season

Tampa, FL, December 9, 2011 – Visiting Santa at the mall is a cherished holiday tradition for most families. Kids instinctively trust the jolly old fellow in the red suit. But did you ever stop to think who might be lurking behind Santa’s false beard?

Kevin Connell is America’s leading background screening expert, dubbed the “Human Lie Detector” by Fox News. He has seen his share of con men and crooks that use false identities (including Santa’s) to commit new crimes. Connell conducts criminal and sexual offender background checks for retail chains and malls that are hiring seasonal employees.

“Santa Claus is an institution. There are lots of great stories and movies about him,” Connell said. “Unfortunately, some bad people take advantage of seasonal opportunities and turn an uplifting season into a parent’s worst nightmare.”

Connell has nearly 20 years of experience as founder and CEO of AccuScreen.com, which specializes in pre-employment background screening and drug testing services. A nationally-known speaker and author, Connell has appeared on ABC News, Fox News and more than 172 radio and TV shows.

Connell helps his audience stay alert and safe. He shares cautionary tales of shady Santa’s, including a New Jersey actor who was arrested by Interpol for producing child pornography and abusing young boys.

In his interview segments and speaking engagements, he reveals:

* Why “Santa Claus” is an alias many criminals use when they’re arrested.
* Warning signs to look out for when shopping online and at the mall.
* Why many companies cut corners and take risks when hiring new employees.
* How to avoid common holiday scams, from fraudulent eBay offers to bait-and-switch sales.

Connell is available to speak on this timely and important topic both in the Tampa, Florida area and nationwide, in person or via telephone.

CONTACT:
Sue Marriott – Media Relations
(813) 837-1920 Ext 1100 (FL)
suemarriott@AccuScreen.com
www.accuscreen.com

Dr. “Fix-a-Flat” meet Dr. “Jiffy Lube”

Don’t trust your body to just anyone. Now, that may sound like common sense, but many people, including the rich and famous, have been bilked out of their hard-earned dollars—and their health—by scam artists intent on manipulating the human desire for beauty into a personal profit.

Most recently print and television news sources have been buzzing with the story of a Miami, Florida man named Oneal Ron Morris. Morris, 30, was arrested November 18th and charged with, among other things, practicing healthcare without a license. Why? For a mere $700.00, Morris promised his female clients more shapely buttocks by performing a simple cosmetic surgery procedure. The procedure? Morris injected his victims with a cocktail of mineral oil, super glue, and Fix-a-Flat.

To add insult to injury, and as may already be obvious, Morris is not a licensed cosmetic surgeon. As a matter of fact, he is not a medical professional of any kind. He has however been bestowed with the moniker Dr. Fix-a-Flat.

But, it’s not only people who are too cash strapped to afford top-of-the-line cosmetic surgery that fall prey to fake docs like Morris. Women like Priscilla Presley, Shawn King, and Diane Richie have also been victims of charming con artists.

Several years ago, when the who’s who of Hollywood included Botox parties—gatherings during which one doctor injected several clients at a time—as a part of their repertoire, Argentinean lothario, Dr. Daniel Serrano (not licensed in the U.S.), made the rounds, injecting clients with what he said was a better-than-Botox miracle drug. What he was actually using was industrial, low-grade silicone and a drug he smuggled from his home country; a drug that has not been approved by the FDA.

Serrano, nicknamed Dr. Jiffy Lube, and Morris not only left several women with serious disfigurations, they endangered the lives of people who trusted them. The chemical concoctions they used resulted in life-threatening conditions for several individuals.

As much as it may be easy to believe that only uneducated, low-income individuals fall prey to phony docs, the reality is that anyone can become a victim. People just don’t think to verify the license credentials of their healthcare providers.

Performing a background check on anyone who provides important services has become a must. Before putting your body, your money, and your health into the hands of anyone, make sure that you have done a thorough license credentials check. Contact a qualified identify verification service to explore your options regarding background checks for healthcare providers. Your life may depend on it.

Resume Fraudster Sent to Jail for Lying on Job Application

Just when Adam Wheeler, the man convicted last year of fraud for lying his way into Harvard, thought it was safe to come out of the shadows, prosecutors in Middlesex, Massachusetts are asking that he serve his sentence as handed down by Superior Court Judge.

But, prosecutors aren’t just being petty, and they certainly couldn’t be accused of picking on Wheeler. Wheeler, originally ordered to serve 2 ½ years in jail, 10 years probation, pay restitution of more than $45,800, and to continue attending counseling for identity theft, resume lies, and other charges, appears to have forgone the lesson he learned (or should have learned) from his conviction in favor of the temptation of lying for profit once again.

Yes, Wheeler has taken the fraud route once again. He is an ideal model of why employment background checks are crucial.

Will Wheeler Ever Learn?
For those who don’t recall the story, Adam Wheeler, now 25, managed to weasel his way into Harvard by claiming to have had attended the prestigious Phillips Academy prep school in Andover and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Not one to fly under the radar to avoid detection, Wheeler, decided to shoot for Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships while at Harvard, citing co-authorship of several books, and by claiming to have taught numerous courses and lectures on what must have been an impressive application, with not your typical resume fraud. He was booted from Harvard in 2009.

With a never-give-up attitude, Wheeler dusted himself off and applied for admission to Stanford after his dismissal from Harvard. Stanford accepted Wheeler but also kicked him out after being alerted to his cons.

Caught Red Handed!
With a smile at his trial, Wheeler apologized to Harvard, his teachers, other students, and his friends. He also admitted to being “ashamed and embarrassed.” But, obviously, Wheeler wasn’t too embarrassed to give fraud another shot.

This enterprising young man now sits in jail awaiting a hearing in mid-November regarding the violation of his probation. So, did Wheeler, like so many other resume liars, stretch the truth a bit about his abilities or work history? Nope. Wheeler, in what can only be called an act of sheer arrogance, cited on a resume and in a cover letter that he attended Harvard University, a strict warning against which was issued as a condition of his probation.

It seems Wheeler lost his job over the summer and, in an effort to make his court-ordered restitution payments, he created resume lies to put himself in a better position than other applicants for the job. Just as he denied other students a position at Harvard, and then Stanford, Wheeler, once again, intended to deny someone more qualified than him the right to a position. This resume fraudster extraordinaire pulled out his pen and made some creative changes to his past.

The Lessons Wheeler Teaches
Wheeler may be a bit hard pressed to learn his own lessons, but he may serve as a shining example of why it’s important to tell the truth on a resume and, for employers, he highlights the need for performing a thorough pre-employment background check on each and every employee.

Potential employees lie. Not all of them, of course, but enough of them lie on job applications to warrant due diligence by employers. If Wheeler was the only individual to give resume fraud a shot, then employers wouldn’t have to look so intently for applicants who lie about a criminal past, tell tales about past employment, and present bogus educational credentials.

The reality for employers is this…
Resume lies aren’t going to magically go away. Because of this, it’s important for employers to protect themselves by partnering with a pre-employment screening agency with the experience to help employers protect themselves, and their employees, against the liability that can result from resume fraudsters.

Kevin Connell is Founder & CEO of AccuScreen.com www.accuscreen.com which has been providing pre-employment background checks on prospective and current employees since 1994. For additional Information & resources about Kevin Connell and AccuScreen’s services, please go to www.accuscreen.com or call AccuScreen.com (813)837-1920, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time

Fox News Special : Presidential Candidate Herman Cain & Sexual Harrassment

The lead story on Fox 13 Nightly News was with CEO and President of AccuScreen.com, Kevin Connell. He was interviewed about the GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain and the controversy surrounding Sexual Harassment claims made by former employees against Cain while he was with the National Restaurant Association.

For a complimentary 5 minute consult with Kevin Connell, enter your Information below!   First Name * Email * Phone  *

MEDIA ALERT : Join us Tonight on FOX News Edge at 11:00pm tonight on Fox 13 Tampa Bay

November 2, 2011 ( Tampa, FL) AccuScreen.com’s CEO and Background Screening Expert Kevin Connell will be interviewed tonight on Fox News Edge about the Herman Cain dilemma & the Sexual Harassment charges made toward him.

The interview will center on the subject of Sexual Harassment and the accusations brought forth by former employees that worked under the Republican Presidential candidate when he was the CEO of the National Restaurant Association during the 1990’s.

This is an interview that you will not want to miss!

If you are not in the Tampa Bay area, no worries, we will be posting the link to the interview afterwards, the video will appear under www.AccuScreen.com/blog

Watch Fox News Edge tonight at 11:00 PM on Fox 13 Tampa Bay.

Join Us on November 3rd for a Free Webinar

We are inviting you to a special webinar entitled “Social Media Background Checks: The 7 Commandments of Using Facebook in the Screening Process”

Date: November 3, 2011 Thursday

Time: 2:00 PM EST until 3:00 PM EST

There have been many recent high-profile cases involving an increase in the restrictions put on Employer’s use of Social Media in Hiring and Screening, as well as Employer’s regulation and response to Employee Comments made on Social Media sites, such as Facebook. The NLRB has challenged as unlawful an employer’s discipline of an employee who made comments on a social media site. Whether you want to use sites like Facebook to screen out employees via a social media background check, or use social media sites to monitor your employee’s social media activity, discipline them for what they post, or simply maintain rules that arguably regulate employee conduct, all employers need to understand the evolving rules coming from the NLRB. Additionally, real world practical tips and insider secrets will be shared by Kevin Connell, a social media savvy background check expert. This webinar is a Pre-Approved HRCI Certified Webinar.

Register HERE for this Complimentary Webinar

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