Guten Tag! It only seems like yesterday when I was wishing you to have a great summer and here we are now closing in on summers end. Well posthumously I hope you enjoyed it. As we head into the fall folks in New England are going to be treated to the glorious colors of the leaves changing which will draw many visitors, however, the folks that live their will have to also deal with raking them up.

Several items I would like to bring to your attention in this edition that are must reads. With my increasing involvement in the International arena one the consistent messages I hear from our colleagues outside of the US is that HR Managers in the US do not understand

the intricacies and complexities involved in conducting background checks in other countries. All agree that much education is needed on this front. My staff found several really good articles that are included in the International Section - Global Background Screening and Background Checking And Job Applicant Testing Outside The US: A Guide To Multinational Pre-Hire Screening that may be very helpful to provide your clients who need to increase their knowledge about screening Internationally. “An Educated Customer is Our Best Customer” (the slogan from a store I use to shop in) says it all.

Also, in the International Section under United States for those of you that are Safe Harbor certified you may want to check out the new ‘mark’ that the Commerce Department has created. You may want to use in future promotional materials.

And lastly, I want to remind our Premium Advertisers in The Employment Screening Journal & 2008-2009 Background Screening Industry Buyers Guide that the deadline for reserving the same advertisement space before we open it up to all is September 15, 2008. Click here to get a copy of the Reservation Form, if you need one.

Thanks again for your patronage and the staff of PreemploymentDirectory.com hopes that you and your family have a great Labor Day celebration.

Guten Tag is hello in German

GOLD SPONSOR

Resume Fluff And Convictions Are Up During Economic Slump

Resume falsifications are on the rise and are expected to increase as the country continues to slog through economic doldrums, according to trends data recently released by several employment background screening firms. Accu-Screen Inc. has kept records for 14 years on resume falsification data and has recorded “spikes” correlating with economic downturns and weak labor markets. According to the company’s most recent data, approximately 43 percent of resumes and job applications could contain false information. Kevin Connell, Accu-Screen, Inc.’s CEO further suggested that the recent increase in unemployment figures combined with a weakening economy will prove to be leading indicators of even more resume falsifications. “We want to get the word out to employers and job-seekers,” he said. “Employers need to be especially vigilant during these periods. Job seekers must know that more employers than ever use rigorous background screening procedures to vet the information contained on their resume.” J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., has discovered outright lies on resumes or applications when conducting pre-employment background or reference checks. Cleveland-based employment screening company employeescreenIQ also that the state of the current job market could lead some individuals to stretch the truth in order to secure employment. Resume “fluffing” isn’t the only area employers need to focus on, however, according to the report. Conviction rates among job applicants are also on the rise. Now more than ever, hiring professionals need to be sure their employment screening firms are conducting thorough, detailed, background checks.

For More Information Go To: http://www.shrm.org/ema/library_published/nonIC/CMS_026257.asp#TopOfPage (may only be available to SHRM members)

Lockheed Secures Contract to Expand Biometric Database

The FBI yesterday announced the award of a $1 billion, 10-year contract to Lockheed Martin to develop what is expected to be the world's largest crime-fighting computer database of biometric information, including fingerprints, palm prints, iris patterns and face images. Under its contract to build Next Generation Identification, the Bethesda contractor will expand on the FBI's electronic database of 55 million sets of fingerprints and criminal histories used by law enforcement and other authorities. The aim is to make the query and results process quicker, more flexible and more accurate. Lockheed built and maintains the fingerprint database. "NGI will give us bigger, better, faster capabilities and lead us into the future," said Thomas E. Bush III, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division.

For More Information Go To: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021202777.html

School safety checks lagging; Backlog delaying scrutiny of educators' criminal histories:

Hundreds of longtime Ohio educators whose criminal histories haven't been examined in years, if ever, will return to their classrooms in the next few weeks without background checks, the state says. The state didn't even require fingerprints to be submitted until Sept. 5, after the start of school in most districts, but a backlog in federal background checks means it could take much longer before the Ohio Department of Education examines the results. In addition, the department's priority is to check the background of new licensees before looking to see whether longtime school workers have criminal records. All school workers must be fingerprinted for state and federal background checks under a state law enacted last fall. The new law, the first of two enacted in response to the Dispatch series "The ABCs of Betrayal" about the state's educator-discipline system, requires checks of both licensed employees, such as teachers, and unlicensed workers such as secretaries, bus drivers and food-service workers. "When you're doing 100,000 (checks) a month, there's always going to be instances where it takes longer," Potts said, noting that most FBI results are now complete within 30 days. The backlog didn't solely stem from teachers, she said. Medical workers, foster-care workers and camp employees all must undergo checks, too.

For More Information Go To: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/08/17/slowchecks.ART_ART_08-17-08_B1_KFB22ON.html?sid=101

United States: Transportation Workers Face Tougher Drug Testing Procedures: Observed Collections Designed

More than 8 million regulated workers in the transportation and pipeline industries face more stringent drug testing collection procedures that went into effect August 25, 2008. The new rules, which are included in and modify 49 C.F.R. Part 40, address "specimen validity" and seek to deal with what appear to be widespread efforts by workers to "beat" drug tests. The new final rules include various mandatory laboratory-based tests intended to improve the detection of samples that have been adulterated by masking agents or diluted by water. Concern about the proliferation of mechanical devices designed to be worn by an individual to simulate the act of urination while delivering a "clean" urine sample has also triggered new, broader requirements for observed collections. Commencing with the rule's effective date, all return-to-work and follow-up urine collections must be observed collections. Affected workers will be required "to raise their shirts, blouses, or dresses/skirts above the waist, and lower their pants and underpants, to show the observer, by turning around, that they do not have a prosthetic device on their person. After this is done, they may return their clothing to its proper position," and produce a specimen "in such a manner that the observer can see the urine exiting directly from the individual into the collection container." Observed collections will continue to be monitored by same-gender collection site personnel.

To Read The Full Article Go To: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=64574&email_access=on (The new regulations can be found in the Federal Register at 73 Fed. Reg. 33735 (June 13, 2008) and are effective August 25, 2008.)

2009 Budget Season is Here! We Specialize in Promoting the Products and Services of businessesin the Background Screening Industry. Advertise with us in 2009: The Background Buzz (special opportunity in Legal Challenge) PreemploymentDirectory.com eDirect Mail Announcements and Releases The Employment Screening Journal Special Promotional Releases of our Specialty Booklets (see example with Comprehensive Guide for Selecting a Background Screening Firm) Private Label Newsletter

To Test or Not to Test: The ADA and Pre-Employment Drug Tests

Today’s business professionals, well aware of the high costs associated with employee turnover, know that they can ill afford to make hiring mistakes, especially in a volatile business climate in which belt-tightening is the norm. Thus, organizations are pulling out all the stops to vet applicants properly, even as fewer dollars are allocated to recruiting and training new employees. Verifying experience and educational credentials, as well as confirming employment histories and checking references, have been staples of the recruiting process. However, in light of some disturbing revelations about illicit drug use in the workplace, many employers demand that applicants submit to pre-employment drug tests. OSHA found that 12.9 million (74.8 percent of illicit drug users) were employed either full or part time and employees who abuse drugs bring their problems with them to work in the form of lower productivity, increased absenteeism and turnover, increased health care costs, and a higher incidence of workplace theft and violence. However, before instituting a drug testing policy employers should be aware of how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) views pre-employment drug tests.

For More Information Go To: http://www.hrtutor.com/en/news_rss/articles/2008/08-14-ADA-Pre-Employment-Drug-Tests.aspx

DATA PRTECTION, FRAUD & THEFT 5 Steps For Stopping The Insider Threat The threat of insider fraud appears to be increasing. Insider data theft accounted for nearly 16 percent of all data breaches in 2008, up from 6 percent a year earlier, according to a study by the Identity Theft Resource Center. And perhaps more alarming, customer data stolen by an employee is misused more frequently than data obtained through an external breach, a recent study by ID Analytics reveals. Phil Neray, VP of database security company Guardium, says there are two main reasons for the rise in the insider threat: Demand for sensitive corporate data has increased, and there is now a thriving black market where fraudsters can buy and sell this type of data. "Also, most corporations have spent the last 10 years focusing on tighter controls around the perimeter of networks," Neray adds. "It's getting harder to break into firms from the outside in traditional hacking attacks, so the bad guys are focusing on how to use insiders to get to the data." So what can companies do to prevent the insider threat? Neray offers the following five steps: For More Information Go To: http://www.wallstreetandtech.com/advanced trading/showArticle.jhtmlarticleID=210004190& cid=RSSfeed_TechWeb Gangs Get Into Identity Theft Identity theft is soaring in California, and street gangs are angling for a piece of the action. Recent cases point to an interest in identity fraud by organizations as diverse as a Long Beach chapter of the Crips, the Armenian Power gang and the prison-based Mexican Mafia, according to law enforcement officials and fraud experts. Gang members sometimes recruit corporate insiders, said Linda Foley, co-founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego nonprofit group. They visit restaurants and other hangouts, listening for people complaining about money troubles, then offer cash in exchange for information they can use in identity theft. Credit card fraud is the most common form of the crime in California, as it is in the nation. Employment-related fraud is No. 2. In California, that category tops the U.S. rate, which the study attributes to undocumented workers using stolen Social Security numbers. The value of that nine-digit identifier has risen, because new laws are making it riskier for businesses to employ illegal immigrants. For More Information Go To: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-fi-idtheft12-2008aug12,0,5321183.story

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:

A CRA, who is not a credt bureau does have obligations under the FCRA when a consumer informs it about suspected identity theft. A. True; the only obligations are to tell the consumer the contact information for the furnisher. B. True; the only obligations are to tell the consumer the contact information for the furnisher and the contact information for the FTC. C. True, a CRA must tell the consumer the contact information for the furnisher and the contact information for the FTC, and if the consumer provides specific information to it, it must block the information. D. False, only nationwide CRAs have obligations relating to identity theft.

Private Eyes Inc. Teams with e-VERIFILE.COM To Get the EVI-Advantage

e-VERIFILE.COM Inc. (EVI), a leading provider of Web-based people management solutions, announced today that California-based Private Eyes Inc., has signed up to participate in the EVI-Advantage Partnership Program. Private Eyes participation makes it the second company to join e-VERIFILE’s program since it was launched in May. “The addition of the Applicant Tracking System enhances our Pre-Employment Screening Suite of Services.” said Sandra James, President of Private Eyes. “In our research to partner with an ATS Company we found e-VERIFILE to be user friendly and cost effective for our price conscious clients,” James added. As an EVI-Advantage Partner, Private Eyes will be able to offer its clients private-label versions of e-VERIFILE’s Web-based administrative support solutions such as talent recruitment and applicant tracking, workplace credentialing and more. Each solution is web-based and requires no additional equipment or software.

For More Information Go To: www.privateeyesinc.com.

Web Sites Give View of Neighborhood Safety

You can get some insight into the criminal quotient in your neighborhood on several Web sites that turn government data into interactive guides of criminal activity. For home buyers, these sites can be a tempting tool to discern whether a neighborhood is rife with crime, or a great place to raise the kids. But how accurate are the pictures they portray? One newer site is CriminalSearches.com. Created by the folks behind PeopleFinders.com, the new site crunches monthly government data down to the state and county level, says Bryce Lane, president and chief operating officer of PeopleFinders.com. "What we're really good at is establishing connections across all these different data sets, linking it back to a particular person," Lane said, acknowledging, however, that some data might be missing. The company also doesn't tap into federal crime data. Punch in the details and the site generates a map showing small squares that represent each person who resides -- or previously resided -- in the area and was convicted of a crime at some point. In some cases, the site will turn up people who were arrested, but never convicted. Click on an individual square and you can get the exact address for the person and a description of their violation, among other details.

For More Information Go To: http://www.criminalsearches.com/default.aspx

Data Breach Notification Laws, State By State

Five years after California's landmark SB 1386, our interactive map shows you which 38 states have passed laws requiring companies to notify consumers whose personal information has been compromised. [UPDATED 7/28/2008] This map will help you sort them out the varying requirements of these laws. Click on any state to see highlights from that state's law. (The gray states do not yet have disclosure laws - exceptions noted above.) For more explanation, see the text below the map.http://www.csoonline.com/article/221322/CSO_Disclosure_Series_Data_Breach_Notification_
Laws_State_By_State

Justice Issues Guidance on Discrimination During Employment Verification

The Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel (OSC) warns that an employer who receives a no-match letter from the Social Security Administration and terminates employees without attempting to resolve the mismatches, or who treats employees differently “or otherwise acts with the purpose or intent to discriminate based upon national origin or other prohibited characteristics,” may be charged with discrimination.

For More Information Go To: http://www.shrm.org/hrnews_published/articles/CMS_026283.asp (Get additional guidance on the Justice Department’s discrimination policy from the OSC web site. Employers may contact the agency at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515 for the hearing impaired).

California AB2918 - Employment: Usage Of Consumer Credit Reports.

This bill would prohibit the user of a consumer credit report, with the exception of certain financial institutions, from obtaining a consumer credit report for employment purposes unless the information is (1) substantially job related, meaning that the information in the consumercredit report relates to the position for which the person who is the subject of the report is being evaluated because the position has one or more specified characteristics is a highly compensated or managerial one, or (2) required by law to be disclosed to or obtained by the userof the report. The bill also would extend the exemption from liability for the maintenance of reasonable procedures to ensure compliance with the provisions specified in state law to encompass the new prohibition.

For More Information Go To: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_2901-2950/ab_2918_bill_20080626_amended_sen_v95.pdf

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

When Sales Are Sagging and Times Are Tough What Can A Small Business Owner Do?

Historically, a company's best source of sales is the existing customer base. Marketing studies have shown that it is up to seven times more costly to replace a customer than it is to keep one. Previous customers have already "qualified" your business and deemed it worthy of patronage. It should not be as hard to get them to become repeat customers because you've already impressed them with your operation the first time (haven't you?). And this management of customer relationships--which in the past was more of an art form based on personality--has been transformed into a science with the advances of the digital age. CRM companies employing high-tech solutions, such as Constant Contact and others, have made customer relationship management accessible to the small business community. And the Internet has made it cost-effective as well. It's as easy as sending email. In fact, if your small business is not using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program (includes deploying an ezine), it is falling behind, because so many small businesses now use email marketing as a normal part of business operations. CRM keeps you in contact with your best customers--so you know what they need, and they know you're out there and ready to help.

For More Information Go To: http://www.toolkit.com/news/newsDetail.aspx?nid=08-233crm

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.

Global Background Screening

Having the right background information about job candidates can reduce the likelihood of employment-related litigation, bad hires and excessive recruiting costs. But on a global scale, it also requires knowledge of local screening regulations. As a result, background screening has become a mission critical endeavor, not only with U.S. multinationals changing talent recruiting and verification practices, but also with locally based companies striving to reduce the high costs of turnover in a business environment growing more competitive and resource strained by the day. Roughly a third of companies conduct some form of international screening either for U.S. hires with an international component, or for local hires in foreign offices.

In many countries, no standardized requirement exists for releasing information across regions, leaving pronounced gray areas for companies to try to find their way through. In Malaysia, the lack of a clear process for releasing criminal records often means government departments make internal decisions as to who may and may not have access to criminal records. The lack of consistency in this approach makes working through this process challenging to say the least. In other words, it is critical for companies to understand country-specific national and cultural differences when conducting verifications. For example, it is not legal to check criminal backgrounds in Hong Kong. Therefore, those companies that offer this information may be obtaining it illegally.

To Read The Full Article Go To: http://www.talentmgt.com/recruitment_retention/2008/August/704/index.php

Background Checking And Job Applicant Testing Outside The US: A Guide To Multinational Pre-Hire Screening

Applicant screening methods in the US have proven helpful for keeping firms from hiring a criminal, someone with a bad work or credit history, an uncredentialed resume liar or an applicant whose skills or aptitudes don’t meet our needs. Perhaps our business case for screening out these bad applicants is every bit as strong overseas, where terminations are so complex and expensive. And if our business case for screening is global, why not align our practices globally? There is good news and bad news for US-based multinationals striving to align pre-hire screening globally.13 The good news is that multinationals can indeed craft a globally-aligned approach to pre-employment screening. The bad news is that doing so requires clearing some high legal and cultural hurdles, and adapting American methods for use abroad. Laws overseas that reach pre-employment screening are complex and varied. They reach background checks and written applicant tests in surprising ways. To craft a workable, globally-aligned approach to applicant screening, a multinational should take four steps: (a) Choose tools, (b) get local guidance, (c) adapt aspirations to foreign realities and (d) launch proactive Speaking broadly, the lesson here is that US-based multinationals might well be ahead of their overseas counterparts in appreciating the need to screen applicants by gathering information going beyond what the applicants themselves volunteer. But laws abroad, especially data privacy laws, erect compliance hurdles. Launching a global background-checking or pre-hire testing initiative takes patience, resources and a carefully considered strategy. In the end, though, the effort will quite likely produce valuable results.

To view all formatting for this article (eg, tables, footnotes), please access the original here. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=15b96adc-a907-47ec-8254-d73a320782f0&l=6J3E6N2

Hands Off The Cookie Jar, Or Pay

A 2004 study found an astounding 79% of employees admit to stealing or considering doing so from their employers. One in five has already done so by providing inflated expense accounts, cooking the books or pocketing money from cash sales. From purloined paperclips to the more audacious embezzlement of corporate funds, Canadian employers lose more than $120-billion a year to employee theft -- a problem identified as the cause of 30% of business failures. But can the cost consequences of such theft more fairly redound on the workplace thief? Increasingly employers are suing the theives, sometimes laying charges, and even settling cases in return for both money and videotape evidence incriminating fellow miscreants.

For More Information Go To: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=6c053aab-e7f2-4879-aba6-ae4bef293003

Can You Be 80% Ethical?

A recent report shows trends that reflect today's values. The report was based on a study conducted across twelve Indian cities and the respondents were executives at the entry and middle levels.

· About 55% said it was OK to fudge expense accounts.
· Another 60% found nothing wrong in carrying office stationery to their homes
· 62% considered offering someone a bribe "normal and ethical" behavior.

These findings along with others from several major cities and across different industry sectors, inevitably lead to the question, "Are we witnessing the downside of ethics in the workplace?" More worrisome is the rationale of the respondents - when top management can charge millions on the expense account, what's wrong with our doing it at the level of hundreds or thousands? Thus, the effect of leadership on organizational culture is also brought into sharp focus.

For More Information Go To: http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/other/2008073011591.htm

Facebook Case Highlights Dangers To Business Reputation

The recent libel case surrounding the publication of information about an individual and his business on social networking site Facebook has again highlighted how damaging inappropriate use of such sites can be for a business' reputation. For employers, the case illustrates the importance of communicating the company's policy on social networking sites - given that employees frequently discuss details of their employment online, and disgruntled employees or ex-employees might be less than positive about the organisation!

To Read the Full Article Go To: http://www.workplacelaw.net/news/display/id/15840(The law firm CMS Cameron McKenna discusses the details of the case)

United Kingdom: Providing References For Employees

In today's highly competitive job market, obtaining a good reference from a former employer is increasingly important. However, as a general rule there is no obligation for employers to provide a reference for past employees - one exception to the general rule is that employers who are regulated by the Financial Services Authority have to give a reference for an FSA registered employee.

There are a number of potential legal pitfalls surrounding the provision of a suitable reference. The employer owes a duty of care to former employees when it comes to providing a reference, which means that an employer can be sued in negligence for including false or misleading information in a reference which subsequently causes the employee to suffer a loss.

Conversely, if an employer deliberately or negligently includes information in a reference which causes a potential employer to believe that an employee is substantially better than he or she really is, and the new employer can be shown to have suffered a loss as a result, then the original employer could be liable to pay damages to the new employer.

For More Information Go To: http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=65118

Employers Are Making Illegal Criminal Candidate Record Checks

Employers are making illegal criminal candidate record checks on spent convictions that should not be disclosed. Certain jobs such as work with children or vulnerable adults are eligible for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks. However, BBC Radio 4's Face the Facts programme has found requests to CRB for jobs such as train drivers, gardeners and bricklayers. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, non-custodial offences and those that carry a prison sentence of less than 30 months become spent after set periods of time free from any further convictions meaning that after the rehabilitation period has passed, reformed offenders are not obliged to disclose those spent convictions when applying for most types of jobs.

Source: http://www.recruiter.co.uk/Articles/337819/Candidate+checks.html

UNITED KINGDOM Theft From Employer Highlights Need For Anti-Fraud Measures News of a manager that stole more than £8,000 from his employer highlights the importance of having anti-theft measures in place. Tony Cowles, 39, took the money whilst in charge at Costa Coffee in Newmarket, Ipswich Crown Court heard. Cowles, who pleaded guilty to theft from an employer, claimed that he had been under pressure at work when he “snapped” en route to a managers’ meeting in Ipswich on 24 June 2008.With takings amounting to £8,195 still in the boot of his car he fled, and reached as far as New Zealand, but was refused entry to the country. Statistics show that 80% of the £40m lost to fraud each day in the UK involves an employee.Moreover, figures suggest that whilst many employers may feel that they have a loyal workforce, 90% of fraudulent employees have been with their employer for more than a year. In the instance mentioned, Tony Cowles had worked the company for four years, and had been manager at the Newmarket branch since March 2007. CIFAS, the UK’s fraud prevention service, sets out a number of warning signs that could indicate that employee fraud is taking place, including: To Read The Full Article Go To: http://www.workplacelaw.net/ne ws/display/id/16266  UNITED STATES Safe Harbor Announces A Certification Mark The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has developed a certification mark for the U.S.-European Union (EU) Safe Harbor Framework. The mark may be used by companies on their websites to signify that they have self-certified compliance with the provisions of the Safe Harbor Framework. The Safe Harbor Framework facilitates secure, uninterrupted transfers of personal information that support billions of dollars in trade from the EU to the United States. By displaying this certification mark, participating companies can more easily illustrate their commitment to ensuring that EU citizens’ data is secure, which is critical to the U.S.-EU trade relationship. In order to display the certification mark, participating U.S. companies must follow specific instructions developed by ITA. Only those organizations that have self-certified and are listed on ITA’s official Safe Harbor Program list will be allowed to use the mark in an appropriate manner. Continued use of the mark is contingent on companies maintaining their status in the program. More than 1,500 U.S. companies participate in the Safe Harbor, which is managed by ITA’s Manufacturing and Services unit. As the program has grown, it has achieved global recognition as one of the best ways to meet the requirements of the EU’s Data Protection Directive. For additional information about the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework, please contact Damon Greer at: (202)482-5023; damon.greer@mail.doc.gov.

We have enhanced our International Resource Center to be a valuable resource for anyone looking for information on doing international background verifications, vetting or verifications. It includes information on international data protection and other laws, terrorist searches and much more. Also included is very practical information on time zones, locating cities, holidays in different countries, etc.

New Information Added:

International Training Resources

We have added International Training Resources to the International Resource Center. We update this section monthly. Bookmark this valuable resource so you can quickly find the information you need.

To view the International Section go to http://www.preemploymentdirectory.com/ and look under the gray line like below in the middle of the page:

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 have the pleasure of talking with Mike Sankey, CEO of BRB Publications, Inc. Although work keeps Mike very busy, he certainly finds time to enjoy outside interests and his family. Mike has been involved with horse racing for the past twenty years and noted that at one time he owned as many as twenty-three horses, but never made it to the Kentucky Derby. He also did some breeding for a while and is down to four horses which he races at Turf Paradise in Phoenix. In addition to being into horse racing Mike also is really into baseball. He has been a die hard Cleveland Indians fan since 1958.

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

HR-XML Consortium’s Global Partnering And Integration Summit 2008

Join fellow industry partners, technologists and analysts for the inspiring and educational Global Partnering and Integration summit 2008 delivered to you by the HR-XML Consortium on October 13th & 14th in Chicago, IL at the McCormick Hyatt Regency. This annual event offers a multitude of topics and break-out sessions to help your organization streamline and optimize its business processes as they relate to HR management. Delve into the topics of ensuring business system agility, enablement of e-business interaction between arms-length HR service providers, which span the entire field of HR including benefits enrollment, assessments, recruiting, payroll and background screening. As a colleague, customer or partner of an attending HR-XML member you will receive over 20% off the regular non-member price, a savings of $200.

For More Information Go To: www.partneringsummit.org

Online Recruitment Conference and Expo 2008

The Onrec.com Online Recruitment Conference & Expo brings together a unique mix of online recruitment leading thinkers and commentators, with HR practitioners and leading industry suppliers. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear their thoughts on the development growth in the US and globally, of the adoption of online recruitment and implementation, now central to so many companies' recruitment process.

Todd Owens, General Manager of Screening Services at Intelius to speak at onrec.com's third annual Online Recruitment Conference & Expo 2008 in Chicago, on September 9 & 10, where the industry’s global recruitment visionaries, award winning authors and recruitment thought leaders will deliver a high profile, exceptional value program that you won’t want to miss! His topic is Background Checks An Emerging Differentiator Among Staffing Firms?

To Read More About The Session and onrec.com's third annual Online Recruitment Conference & Expo Go To: http://www.onrec.com/conferences/090908/topics.html

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