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United States: Connecticut Becomes Only The Second State To Mandate An Employee Data Protection Policy

With the State of Connecticut reeling from a series of massive security breaches that have exposed the personal information of hundreds of thousands of state residents, Connecticut's Governor and General Assembly joined forces in mid-June to make Connecticut only the second state (after Michigan) to mandate that private employers publish a policy on the protection of employee Social Security numbers (SSNs). The new Connecticut law — entitled, "An Act Concerning the Confidentiality of Social Security Numbers" (the "Act"), and effective October 1, 2008 — also imposes on private employers a statutory duty to safeguard, and properly dispose of, personal information more broadly defined. The Act requires the creation of a "a privacy protection policy" by any entity that collects SSNs in the course of its business. Consequently, the Act requires employers to promulgate a policy that, at a minimum, (1) protects the confidentiality of SSNs; (2) prohibits unlawful disclosure of SSNs; and (3) limits access to SSNs.

For More Information Go To: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=62408&email_access=on

United States: An Immigration Dashboard For Human Resource Professionals - Part 1

The maze of immigration laws governing employment authorization for foreign nationals is Perplexing and Perilous. This article will provide employers with key elements and information to help understand and navigate the maze:

• Practical information concerning basic principles of work-related immigration law
• Eligibility criteria for the most popular work-visa categories.
• Best practices when hiring or continuing to employ foreign and domestic workers,
• Recommended procedures to follow after receipt of a "no-match" letter.
• Useful tips to make sure that foreign workers maintain lawful immigration status throughout the employment relationship and are not prevented from working by delayed security clearances or restrictions on travel abroad and reentry to the United States.
• Guidance on ways to limit or minimize liability, or negative, unintended immigration-related outcomes affecting the workforce and the employment relationship.

For More Information Go To: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=60772&email_access=on

United States: President Bush Signs Amended Executive Order 12989 Requiring Federal Contractors To Use The E-Verify Employment Verification System

On June 6, 2008, President Bush signed an amendment to Executive Order 12989, which now requires federal contractors to use the E-Verify employment verification system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new employees hired during a contract term and all existing employees assigned to work on a federal contract. Until now, private employers were invited to use the E-Verify system, but enrollment was voluntary. Depending on the number of government contracts issued in the coming years, Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") Secretary Michael Chertoff stated that this executive order could potentially affect as many as 1 million workers.

For More Information Go To: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=62266&email_access=on

New South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act Affects All Employers in State

The South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act, a comprehensive reform law deemed the "strongest in the nation" by state legislators, was signed by Governor Mark Sanford on June 4, 2008. The Act, H. 4400, requires both public and private employers to verify the work authorization of all new employees, either through the use of the free federal online E-Verify system or by checking the employee's driver's license. The E-Verify online employment verification system is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration and lets employers know whether information presented by a new employee matches government records.

For More Information Go To: http://www.jacksonlewis.com/legalupdates/article.cfm?aid=1401

How Voice Analysis Enhances the Pre-Employment Screening process

Inaccurate information provided by job candidates can lead to wrong hiring decisions and cause numerous negative outcomes including loss of business, law suits and an unsafe working environment. Determining the accuracy of information provided by job candidates and having the ability to minimize risks involved when recruiting new staff members, is a constant challenge human resources professionals are faced with.

Insights into a candidate's ethical inclinations
LVA-i is an assessment tool based on automated interactive questionnaires for pre-employment screening and employees' periodical checks, providing an unprecedented level of perception of the integrity and risk potential of employment candidates and employees. LVA-i uses voice analysis in order to estimate a candidate’s liability potential, by analyzing the emotional content of his or her voice when responding to specifically designed questions, divided into categories.

For more information please visit www.nemesysco.com.

DATA PRTECTION Fraud: Prevention Really Is Better Than Cure Fraud prevention is very similar to having a good quality health insurance scheme in place. Just as the body may suffer aches and pains, the corporate world can suffer from changes in market or stakeholder demands; fall in shareholder confidence; lack of trained staff; or incidents of fraud, corruption or malpractice. As long as there is money, fraud and corruption will be a fact of business. But it doesn’t have to be something that causes life-threatening damage to your company. Fraud prevention is not a complex subject that requires a degree or endless training, like medicine. Unlike cancer or heart disease, it is not difficult to detect if awareness and reporting lines are in place within an organisation and everyone in that organisation knows what their responsibilities are. The end result of an investigation is often cathartic. Most importantly, however, it can prevent a total breakdown and the end of a company's profitable life. For More Information Go To: http://www.antifraudnetwork.com /fraud_preventionreallybetter.htm When a Data Breach Occurs, What Do Consumers Expect? You are cordially invited to attend a complimentary Webinar hosted by Javelin Strategy & Research and Debix on Tuesday July 15th, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. EDT (10:00a.m. PDT) Javelin’s President & Founder, James Van Dyke, will outline the latest consumer research findings that includes the significant implications security breaches represent to businesses once consumer trust is compromised, as well as recommendations about how institutions should respond. Sponsor and co-presenter, Julie Fergerson, VP of Emerging Technologies of Debix, will present its Identity Protection Network, which is setting new industry standards for building solutions that prevent identity theft and publishing metrics to prove the solution works. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/254276431

Steps To Reduce Employee Theft

About a third of all business failures each year can be traced to employee theft and other employee crime, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. That's a large number, and it's on the rise. The present economy increases the chances of internal theft because more people are in desperate need of extra cash. Internal theft dwarfs the losses of external theft. What can businesses do to protect themselves? No. 1 is to perform thorough background checks, which should include criminal and credit history, education verification and reference checks. Too often the hiring process is hastily conducted. Sometimes you are in desperate need of someone and take shortcuts in hiring.

For More Information Go To: http://www.southtownstar.com/business/998616,061108pvteyecol.article

As the background screening industry continues to get more competitive the firms that will ultimately succeed will be those that create competitive advantage through their people by offering continuous learning opportunities to heightened their knowledge and capabilities. We believe that having employees that are very knowledgeable about the legal landscape of background screening is essential to continued success.

We are grateful to Pam Devata, Seyfarth Shaw LLP for providing the expertise for this valuable endeavor. For information regarding the answers to the Legal Challenge Questions, please contact Pamela Devata at Seyfarth Shaw LLP at pdevata@seyfarth.com or 312-460-5000 or visit www.seyfarth.com.

Please choose your answer by clicking on it:

How do I know if state or federal law applies with regard to what I can report as a CRA? a) Federal law always trumps state law b) Call my lawyer c) State law always trumps federal law d) It depends on when the state law relating to what a CRA can report (if any) was passed into legislation.

Abso® Provides Award-winning PeopleClues® Assessments Seamlessly Through Talent Edition

In today’s environment, HR staffs must focus their limited resources on the best talent—they need to find quality candidates and retain valued employees. Abso®, a leading provider of talent management and screening solutions, has partnered with PeopleClues® to offer award-winning personality, cognitive, and attitude assessments through Abso’s Talent EditionTM application. Now HR managers can seamlessly initiate and evaluate the results of PeopleClues assessments within a single interface, helping them hire the best candidates more efficiently. Pre- and post-hire, integrated assessments enable HR staffs to identify candidates or employees with the required personality characteristics and cognitive abilities.

Abso® and Reliant Live Partner to Help HR Teams Work Smarter - Integrated Skills Testing Improve Workflow for HR Staffs Doing More with Fewer Resources

Abso®, a leading provider of integrated talent management solutions, and Reliant Live, an innovator of online assessments and learning environments, have partnered to help HR teams maximize their organizations' talent. Reliant Skills testing are now fully integrated into Abso Talent EditionTM, helping HR evaluate candidates and existing employees, all while helping manage workload more efficiently. Reliant Skills tests are content-valid and comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines.

For more information, visit abso.com, or call 800.943.2589

Accurate Background Inc. Announces Taleo 7.5 Certification

Accurate Background Inc., a leader in the background screening industry announced completion of its Taleo 7.5 certification for their comprehensive web based solution. Certification of the current version of Taleo offers clients of Accurate Background and Taleo a pre-built solution which facilitates a quicker implementation process. In addition to Accurate Background's existing Taleo integrations, the successful 7.5 certification allows clients access to advanced navigation tools. "Accurate Background prides itself on offering a custom tailored solution developed with each client's specific requirements in mind. The integration solution eliminates redundancy offering a more efficient recruiter and applicant experience," said Catherine Aldrich, executive vice president of Accurate Background.

For More Information Go To: www.accuratebackground.com or call call (800) 784-3911

Crimcheck.Com Integrates Its Pre-Employment Background Checks Into On-Demand Recruiting And On Boarding Solution

Crimcheck.com, a Berea, Ohio-based background checks and employment screening firm partners with Candidate Resources, Inc, a Dallas, Texas-based applicant tracking software and employee assessment testing provider. Crimcheck.com will integrate its pre-employment background checks into Candidate Resource Inc's, on-demand recruiting and on boarding solution, allowing clients to more quickly and efficiently initiate background checks by eliminating the need for fax or redundant data entry.

For More Information Go To: www.Crimcheck.com

USIS to Merge With HireRight

USIS, a privately owned company that is a leading provider of employment/drug testing screening solutions and the largest provider of security investigations to the federal government, has signed an agreement to merge with HireRight, Inc. (NasdaqGM: HIRE), a leading provider of on-demand employment background and drug screening solutions. The transaction is valued at approximately $195 million. Under terms of the agreement, which was approved by both companies’ boards of directors, USIS (www.USIS.com) will pay HireRight stockholders $15.60 per share in cash, which represents a 54% premium over HireRight’s closing share price of $10.12 on Friday, June 6, and a 65% premium over the weighted average trading price of the company’s shares for the past three months. Upon completion of the merger, HireRight will be combined with the USIS Commercial Services Division.

For More Information Go To: www.USIS.com

Crederity Trusted Identity and Credential Verification Enters Beta Testing

Crederity, Inc. announced today that they have begun Beta testing the Crederity Trusted service, a web-based trust-building offering that provides online identity and credential verification to people-powered companies. The company is working with consulting and recruiting firms in its initial US tests of the Internet service through what the company calls Trust Facts. When companies are Crederity Trusted, their clients know that the personnel at those companies are genuine -- they are who they say they are and they have done what they say they have done." People-centric firms, such as consulting, recruiting/staffing and outsourcing, depend on communicating the competence and trustworthiness of their team members. Crederity's Trust Facts confirm the truth of credentials of employees or potential hires, including identity, citizenship, education, work experience and certifications or licenses. For companies that hire outside consulting firms or freelancers, this reassurance will make the decision-making process more clear because they can be sure of a vendor and its staff.

For more information, visit www.crederity.com

Never Screen a Resume Again: Hire Insight Enables Companies to Outsource Most Tedious Steps of Hiring Process

Although most hiring managers would agree that selecting the right employees is the key to building a successful business, nearly all wish they could avoid the time, costs and frustration required to screen and evaluate suitable candidates. In response, Hire Insight Group has developed a program that allows employers to outsource all of the most tedious steps in the hiring process and receive a shortlist of only those with the best potential to become top performers (i.e., those who contribute 48% to 120% more than the average employee). The program was developed in response to common employer complaints and research that showed the considerable time and cost required to find and shortlist a pool of applicants using traditional methods -- anywhere from nine to 15 weeks for professional, managerial and executive positions, with the entire process costing between $17,000 and $43,000. Hire Insight solution allows employers to outsource most of their hiring process to a team of assessment experts who will run all applicants through a proven screening and evaluation program, tailored to client needs. The result is a shortlist of only the most capable individuals, with comprehensive information on candidate success and potential provided by people who can best predict employee performance.

For more information, visit www.hireinsightgroup.com

Background Screening and Investigations Managing Hiring Risk from the HR and Security Perspectives By W. Barry Nixon, SPHR and Kim Kerr, CPP 352 pages 16 ills Copyright 2008 USD 49.95, Reference Butterworth-Heinemann Title ISBN: 978-0-7506-8256-5 To Order Go To www.PreemploymentDirectory.com and click on the book cover

We can help you have a high quality e-newsletter to help nurture your relationship with your clients and attract new clients. Our customized newsletter service will take over your newsletter task or create a new one for you. We can manage the creation of your newsletter for you.

We are constantly researching information to use for The Background Buzz and you can put our research to use for you. Using the information rich content from The Background Buzz (minus the ads and competitors information) we will create a custom newsletter for you.

Use your staff’s time to do more valuable work and save all the hassle of researching or writing articles, formatting and managing all the other ezine tasks with our customized ezine process.

Contact Barry Nixon at 949-770-5264 or at wbnixon@aol.com for more information.

Looking for the Top Suppliers in the Industry? Need to find a new Supplier?

Visit PreemploymentDirectory.com’s VENDOR SHOWCASE which features suppliers to the Background Screening Industry (go to www.PreemploymentDirectory.com, click on ‘Click Here’ and then scroll down to Vendor Showcase for Background Screening Industry Suppliers)

Are you interested in keeping up with the latest developments on the world wide web and with web site technology from a business owner or business development perspective? If so you may want to sign up for Web Site Magazine. It is complimentary and written in a straightforward, easy to read and understand manner. It is published in hardcopy.

The European Union has established the first international alliance group with NAPBS. The group is officially designated as NAPBS International Europe. Under the leadership of Co-chairs Eyal Cohen, Alexandra Kelly and Steve Bailey it is expected that 20 or so EU firms will become members of the newly formed organization. Members will help shape the focus and direction of the new group and will be able to use the logo to show their affiliation with NAPBS which increasingly is becoming a symbol of ethical practices and adherence to industry standards that end users are demanding.

Lies Around the Globe

New Zealand is the most angelic nation and Ukraine, the most dishonest -- at least when it comes to being truthful in the job seeking process, according to an international workplace survey by Kelly Services in the U.K.

http://www.hreonline.com/pdfs/080502News_LiesAroundTheGlobe.pdf

2008 Borderless Workforce Survey Global Results Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) surveyed over 28,000 employers across 27 countries and territories to determine the extent to which companies are utilizing foreign talent to fill positions where they are experiencing skill shortages, and to determine the impact on the labor market from talent leaving their home country to go and work in another country. The survey also asked employers if they felt governments and businesses were doing enough to slow the outward migration of talent and attract these people back to their home country. To Read The Full Survey Go To: http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ MAN/2281 91699x0x208357/41b8de87-06 2c-4840-9b0a-8ff48bd175b4/2008_Borderl ess%20Workf orce%20Sur vey_Global%20Results_FINAL.pdf  CANADA Canada: Conducting Reference Checks Without Violating Privacy Laws Reference and background checks are a good way to ensure you have the right person for the job, but they are not always straightforward. Conducting simple reference checks on prospective employees has become complicated by privacy legislation. Private sector employers in British Columbia, Alberta and Québec and federally regulated employers are subject to personal information protection legislation. This legislation imposes obligations on employers regarding the collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal information. Even if an organization is not subject to such legislation, Canada has a growing privacy culture and many employment candidates will expect employers to take special care with their personal information. For that reason, all employers are well-advised to take the developing privacy laws into account in all their employment practices, including reference checking. For More Information Go To: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?ar ticleid=62230&email_access=on

Alcohol and drug testing of employees remains controversial and subject to numerous legal challenges. On December 28, 2007, the Alberta Court of Appeal upheld an employer's right to perform mandatory pre-employment alcohol and drug screening for safety-sensitive positions. In contrast, on December 6, 2007, only a few weeks earlier, the Québec Court of Appeal struck down the portion of an arbitrator's award that would have permitted an employer to conduct random alcohol and drug testing of its employees who work in safety-sensitive positions. The court held that such testing is contrary to Québec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (the Charter).

For More Information Go To: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=62238

First Advantage Releases Inaugural "Background Screening Trends – India" Report

Mumbai: The Employer Services segment of First Advantage Corporation (NASDAQ: FADV), Asia-Pacific''s largest background screening and talent acquisition solutions provider, has released its pioneering quarterly report "Background Screening Trends – India." Background screening is rapidly gaining acceptance across different industry verticals. First Advantage, credited as the pioneer of background screening in India, has assimilated the best practices prevalent globally to the Indian context. "Background Screening Trends – India" sets another precedent by providing employers with data that can be used to benchmark their background screening experience against industry standards. It also highlights the need for employment and education checks to be part of the background verification process as against the usual practise of limiting it to reference checks. The inaugural "Background Screening Trends – India" report, based on employment background checks conducted by First Advantage from January 2007 through the first quarter of 2008, observes:

For More Information Go To: http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=6153

Employees` Past Difficult To Verify

Employees, it is estimated, are responsible for around 60 per cent of losses due to fraud, information and property thefts. Yet, searching for an employee with a criminal record or fake credentials in India is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. Over 98 per cent of all registered Indian firms do not conduct any background screening. Inquiries related to fraud get restricted to internal audits in most cases. Even for the 2 per cent that do, nearly 80 per cent of the information that is verified by third-party investigators is not reliable, asserts Kunwar Vikram Singh, chairman, Central Association of Private Security Industry and The Association of Private Detectives and Investigators. The problem is deep-seated. Pre-screening players allege that ‘fake degrees' can be obtained and verified in India with ease. A First Advantage study suggests that about 29 per cent of all discrepancies are related to educational qualifications. Of these, 85 per cent of candidates submit fake documents. Almost 70 per cent of all discrepancies are related to previous employment.

For More Information Go To: http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?autono=327194&leftnm=5&subLeft=0&chkFlg=

We invite you to pull up a chair, take a break and join us in the Background Bistro to sip a latte and chat with this weeks guest:

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Caryl McMains, Vice President of Marketing, ClearStar.net.. Caryl started her career selling wholesale records in 1985 for a company called Rent Port. "We launched the first online database that sold criminal and eviction records, called Veri Facts. It was a lot of work because most of the research was done on Microfiche and the records went all the way back to 1971.” The introduction of computers has meant everything, creating efficiency and time saving procedures. Caryl reflected on the days when we use to use DOS, it was not user friendly at all and there was no interface. Things have certainly changed for the better.”

Bruce Bergs' Report on SHRM's Annual Conference - Click Here

2008 Events (Click Here to View full list of 2008 Events) – Updated Monthly

SHRM State Conferences, visit http://www.shrm.org/conferences/state/CMS_004287.asp

Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), 2008 Training Course Schedule, visit http://datia.org/

National Association for Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), 2008 Webinar Schedule, visit http://www.napbs.com/content.php?id=289

World Federation for Personnel Management, Events, http://www.wfpma.com/dates.html