Running Background Checks On Current Employees

Running Background Checks On Current Employees

Running a background check on new hires is a common HR practice. Applicants recognize that their criminal backgrounds, credit history, driving records and professional experience (among other things) could possibly be a deterrent to a job offer. Employees currently working for an organization may not expect a background check from their employer, however. While not a common practice across all industries, we are asked the question with some regularity and thought we should address it.

Why Screen Current Employees?

An employer must determine if checking current employees is worth the potential risks of losing a great employee. Other things to consider are:

• discrimination if only a certain segment of the workforce is screened where others are not
• the cost of ongoing background checks
• the findings may or may not be relatable to job performance
• the findings may be beyond a 7 year reporting limitation and unable to be used for termination evidence.

Here are some valid reasons for conducting annual employee background checks:

• Security – if the employer feels that their employee is putting others at risk, a current and updated background check may be necessary to determine if there is criminal activity outside the workplace.
• Job performance – if the employee’s job performance is suffering, an employer may wish to gather more information about current personal activities.
• Damage to the business – if the business could suffer due to suspected ongoing criminal activity, an employer may wish to inquire about crimes committed by the employee.