The best possible source for verification of general information about any person is his or her civil records.

Civil records are credible. With increased pressure on checking antecedents or getting the background checks conducted before employing or even engaging a professional, civil record morgues are now put to use more frequently than ever before.

What information can civil records provide? Read more…

It is no more the level of the employee but the security environment and security requirements that determine which level and how background checks should be conducted.

A bad cleaner may be as bad as a CEO with doubtful integrity. Normally employers do not take chances and make sure that they opt for employment screening or background checks of all their employees, irrespective of the positions they hold.

They are justified in getting the background and credentials of a member of the cleaning staff as well as the top executive, CEO, done before employing anyone. Levels of background checks and agencies or means used for conducting background checks may vary and differ but certain mandatory checks are now becoming increasingly mandatory. Read more…

Do you know the I-9 Status of your employees? How about their visa standing? Read more…

Are drugs and alcohol an issue in your workplace? Consider this: Read more…

A due diligence check is an excellent tool to use before entering into a business relationship with another individual or business.  A due diligence check is a comprehensive check used most often for verifying the qualifications of an executive or a company with whom you are considering entering into a business relationship or agreement with.  Due diligence checks can also be used for medical personnel, pilots, teachers, engineers and other professional who require professional credentials or licensing in order to perform their job.  Without the proper professional licensing, an individual or business is not qualified to participate in the transaction or do business.  Before entering into any business transaction or any other business relationship, it is essential to protect yourself from fraud by conducting a thorough due diligence check of all involved parties.

Utilizing a due diligence search is the most efficient, convenient and effective way to prevent business to business fraud.  One of the leading causes of business to business fraud is doing business with someone who is not who they say they are.  This risk can easily be reduced by making a due diligence check a regular part of your pre-employment and pre-contractual repertoire.  A typical due diligence check involves surveying data from numerous federal and state databases and regulators pertaining to professional licensing and registration.  Further, a due diligence check will also provide a comprehensive background check, including a multiple jurisdiction and federal criminal background search, civil litigation search, search of property and business ownership, and personal and professional reference verifications.  The result is that you will have a comprehensive understanding of the individual or business’ background before entering into a relationship or transaction with them.  This information will give you the confidence you need to make sound business and hiring decisions. 

Performing a due diligence check is both simple and efficient.  One of the most convenient ways to run a due diligence check is to utilize the services of a professional background check company.  By using a professional background check company, you will have access to their due diligence search engine and the multiple databases it is capable of searching.  Prior to agreeing to a business relationship, you simply log onto the professional background check website or other computer program and enter such identity verification information as the individual’s name, Social Security number, address, date of birth, drivers’ license and telephone number.  To perform a due diligence check of another business, simply enter the company’s name, tax identification number, address and telephone number.  Once this information is entered, the due diligence check will automatically search the relevant databases, comparing the entered information with the data found in the databases.  The results will show you whether there are any discrepancies with the individual or business that may prevent you from wanting to conduct business with them.  If the due diligence check returns any information that calls into questions the individual or business’ qualifications, credentials or honesty, then you should think twice about doing business with them or risk being a victim of fraud.

An essential step in creating and maintaining a safe workplace environment is to implement a drug free workplace policy.  A drug free workplace policy is a written employment policy that clearly states the expectations of the company that all employees remain drug and alcohol free.  The mixing of drugs and alcohol with work can be the cause of a variety of damages, including personal and financial injury.  In order to enforce the company’s drug free workplace policy, employee drug testing must be conducted.

Employee drug testing is a complicated subject.  Not only are there numerous methods of performing effective employee drug testing, there are also many laws that regulate the use of employee drug testing.  The first step in implementing an employee drug testing policy is to evaluate and determine what your company’s exact employee drugs testing needs are.  To do this, determine what your business’ drug abuse risk is.  For example, if you have noticed a decrease in productivity or an increase in employee-caused accidents, you will want to focus your employee drug testing protocol on solving these problems.  In these situations, using random employee drug testing may be your best option. 

The second step in implementing an employee drug testing policy to understand the applicable law relating to employee drug testing.  Depending on the state your company is in and the type of work your company does, various state and federal laws may effect how employee drug testing can be done.  Since the area of employee drug testing and employee privacy rights is a rapidly evolving area of the law, it is highly recommended you seek the professional legal advice of a qualified attorney who can help you understand how to set up a legal employee drug testing program. 

Once you know what your employee drug testing need is and what the relevant employee drug testing laws are, the third step is to decide what type of employee drug testing system you want to implement.  There are many different methods of performing employee drug testing and each have their own individual advantages and disadvantages.  For example, your company can chose between using random employee drug testing or regularly scheduled employee drug testing.  Further, employee drug testing, whether random or scheduled, can be performed using a variety of different procedures.  For example, you can use urine, saliva, sweat or hair samples for employee drug testing.  

Usually employee drug testing is only valid if performed by a medical professional.  Therefore, it is highly advised that your company hire a professional employee drug testing business to perform all of your employee drug testing needs.  Such companies as Background Network can coordinate professional testing labs, medical review professionals and accurate reports to ensure your employee drug testing is done efficiently and effectively.  Using a nationwide network of OSHA, ODAT and NODA compliant drug testing labs, a national network of collection sites, and pre-employment physical examinations, a professional employee drug testing company will get you the employee drug testing information and services you need to ensure you operate a drug free and safe workplace.

Using a license verification system to verify the professional licensing of an individual is an essential step in fighting fraud. Business to business fraud can occur when an individual or party involved in either a business transaction or in applying for a job is dishonest about the status of their professional license. Many professions require an individual to be properly licensed. For example, attorneys, doctors, accountants, and financial advisors all require a professional license. Without the proper licensing, an individual is not qualified to participate in a business transaction or to be hired for the job. If one enters into a business transaction with an unqualified individual, they may become victims of fraud. Further more, if a business hires an individual who is not properly licensed, they may become liable for fraud or other damages resulting from the negligent hiring. Thus, before entering into a business relationship with any other individual, it is essential to protect yourself by conducting a thorough professional license verification of all involved parties.A professional license verification typically involves surveying data found in numerous state, federal and private databases. For example, if one is going to perform a license verification of a person applying to be an attorney, the license verification check would search the databases of a particular’s state’s attorney registration roster. To do this, a license verification will effectively check for a proper professional license of the applicant or other third party by verifying such information as the individual’s name, address, license number and license expiration date in comparison to the same information stored within the various databases. A license verification system can also check for any limitations, restrictions or disciplinary rulings that may affect an individual’s professional license status.

Utilizing a license verification database is the most convenient, efficient and effective method to obtain a professional license verification on a third-party business partner or potential hire. When one uses an automated license verification system, the license verification process automatically surveys numerous databases, providing the user with a thorough license verification on the individual in question. Many license verification programs use an online database search engine in order to perform a license verification check. An online license verification program has the advantage of allowing one to check a professional license either individually or in a batch by searching either one or numerous license verification sources with just one click.

Since the status of one’s professional license can change rapidly, it is important to conduct regular license verification checks. Making license verification a regular part of one’s business and hiring processes will allow one to better protect themselves from the risk of being a victim of fraud. Continuously taking the necessary steps to conduct a professional license verification will help reduce the risk of fraud and assist with letting one run a more effective and profitable business. Instead of discovering that an employee or business partner lacks the proper qualifications after the fact, a license verification will allow you to take preventative steps to ensure you hire the right individual from the start.