The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed an appropriations bill (H.R. 5326) that provides funding for several agencies including the allocation of $367 million the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) but also includes amendments that would block implementation and enforcement of several programs including the new EEOC guidance on the ‘Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’ for employers using criminal background checks. The full text of H.R. 5326 is available at: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr5326/text. (more…)

Hiring safe employees is not as simple as some employers may think, and the topic of “safe hiring” will be discussed by two guests on this week’s episode of the Internet talk radio program ‘The Proactive Employer.’ Attorney Les Rosen, Founder and CEO of background check firm Employment Screening Resources (ESR), and Joel Passen, Co-Founder of Newton Smart Applicant Tracking Software, will join host Stephanie R. Thomas, Ph.D. to talk about the elements of a safe hiring plan, common questions and concerns employers have about hiring, and how to implement a Safe Hiring Program (SHP). The hour long show will air live on Thursday, May 17th at 3 PM Eastern / 12 PM Pacific on the VoiceAmerica™ Business Channel and on The Proactive Employer website. (more…)

Attorney Lester Rosen, founder and CEO of background check firm Employment Screening Resources (ESR), has submitted a letter of public comment to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency that enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, regarding the April 25, 2012 meeting where the EEOC voted 4-1 to approve updated Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The letter is available at: http://www.esrcheck.com/Les-Rosen-Public-Comment-on-EEOC-Criminal-Guidance.php. (more…)

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) — the world’s largest human resources association representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries — has issued a statement on the updated Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 issued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on April 25, 2012. The updated Enforcement Guidance from the EEOC, the agency that enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, is available at http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm. (more…)

The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) — ‘The Voice of Screening Professionals’ — has issued a statement in response to the updated Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 issued by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on April 25, 2012. The updated EEOC Guidance is available at http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm. (more…)