Background screening of job candidates is a common and legal
practice that many employers utilize to ensure that workers have
the qualifications and credentials they say they have in their
interviews and resumes. Background screening typically involves
verifying employment and education history, contacting
references, and checking credit reports and criminal records.
Not all employers perform background checks on their prospective
employees before hiring them, but those that do generally do so
in order to verify the accuracy of the applicant's information
and to screen for behavior that might put other employees or the
employer at risk. For example, employers can be held liable for
workers who commit crimes while on the job, especially if they
have a previous criminal record that the employer never bothered
to investigate. Before conducting employee background checks,
employers must follow certain guidelines set under the Fair
Credit Reporting Act. These guidelines, which are designed to
protect the privacy r