Employment Background Screening and New EEOC Guidance on Criminal Records Discussed in Webinar on September 6

Attorney and safe hiring expert Lester Rosen, Founder and CEO of San Francisco, CA-area background check firm Employment Screening Resources (ESR), will be one of three panelists participating in an encore presentation of a 90 minute CLE webinar/teleconference from Strafford titled ‘Pre-Employment Background Screening After EEOC’s New Guidance: Structuring Policies to Comply With Title VII, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and State Laws’ on Thursday, September 6, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT (10:00 AM to 11:30 AM PDT). For more information, visit: http://www.straffordpub.com/products/pre-employment-background-screening-after-eeocs-new-guidance-2012-09-06. “The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s new enforcement guidance on criminal background checks issued in April 2012 will significantly impact how arrest and conviction records are used during the hiring process,” says Rosen, author of ‘The Safe Hiring Manual,’ the first comprehensive guide to pre-employment background screening. “The webinar will provide guidance on the legal pitfalls of pre-employment background checks and hiring policies and procedures that minimize liability exposure.” Joining Rosen in the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) webinar and teleconference will be Pamela Q. Devata of Seyfarth Shaw in Chicago, IL and Cindy D. Hanson of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton in Atlanta, GA. Together, the panel will review key questions concerning employment background checks:

• How are employers responding to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new guidance on criminal background checks?
• How can businesses balance their duty to conduct due diligence background checks on applicants against their duty not to discriminate in employment decisions?
• What are the best practices for employers when developing and implementing policies for the use of credit records, criminal histories and social networking sites in hiring decisions?

The panel will also discuss the new guidance on criminal background checks from the EEOC and the legal rights of applicants under federal and state laws including Title VII and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The outline for the presentation, which features a live interactive Q & A session, will be:

• I. Recent legal developments: A. New EEOC guidance on criminal background checks; B. Fair Credit Reporting Act compliance; and C. State law compliance.
• II. Best practices to minimize litigation risks: A. Weigh benefits of obtaining data versus potential legal liabilities; B. Develop written policies on what information can be collected and used; C. Enforce policies consistently and uniformly; D. Train managers, supervisors and employees on company policy; E. Considerations when using recruiters in hiring—joint employer liability; and F. Considerations when using social media in hiring.

Rosen is a nationally recognized safe hiring expert who was the chairperson of the steering committee that founded the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) and served as first co-chair. He is a frequent presenter on due diligence issues and his speaking appearances include national and international conferences for ‘ESR Speaks’ at https://www.esrcheck.com/ESR_Speaks.php. For more information on pre-employment background checks as part of a Safe Hiring Program, visit Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority’ and nationwide background screening firm accredited by the NAPBS – at https://www.esrcheck.com/, call toll free 888.999.4474, or email [email protected]. Source: http://www.straffordpub.com/products/pre-employment-background-screening-after-eeocs-new-guidance-2012-09-06. About Employment Screening Resources (ESR): Founded by safe hiring expert Attorney Les Rosen in 1997, Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority^SM’– provides accurate and actionable information that empowers employers to make informed hiring decisions for the benefit of their organizations, employees, and the public. CEO Rosen literally wrote the book on background checks with “The Safe Hiring Manual” and ESR is accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), a distinction held by a small percent of screening firms. Employers choosing ESR know they have selected an agency meeting the highest industry standards. To learn more, visit https://www.esrcheck.com/, call 888.999.4474, or email [email protected]. About ESR News: The Employment Screening Resources (ESR) News blog – ESR News – provides employment screening information for employers, recruiters, and jobseekers on a variety of topics including credit reports, criminal records, data privacy, discrimination, E-Verify, jobs reports, legal updates, negligent hiring, workplace violence, and use of search engines and social network sites for background checks. For more information about ESR News or to send comments or questions, please email ESR News Editor Thomas Ahearn at [email protected].]]>