Under US law, all companies are required to only employ individuals who are allowed to work legally in the United States. This may include US citizens or foreign citizens, who have the necessary paperwork and authorization to seek work in the country.
Why employers do background checks
Employers want to make sure that potential employees are telling the truth. It is estimated that over 40% of resumes in the US contain false information, so employers want to make sure they are getting what they are promised. An employer may perform a background check to ensure that the potential employee went to the college he indicated on his resume, or worked in the company that he listed as his previous employer. It is also a way for employers to ensure that they are employing individuals who are eligible to work in the US; else they may face severe legal penalties themselves. Also, if government security clearances are requested for a specific job, then employers may require doing a background check.
Self-check is a service offered by E-Verify. It is an internet-based service that is free and can be used by anyone across the United States to confirm a person's employment eligibility. After you enter some information, the service will verify that against various databases of the government to determine work eligibility. You can even use the service to determine your own eligibility. If there is some problem with your records, you can resolve that issue before you take up a new job. You can also order driver records online as part of the background check.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) sets a standard for screening individuals for employment purposes. Before an employer can get access to its reports, they must notify the potential employee in writing and get your authorization to proceed. Today, most US-based employers do employment verification and background checks, as part of their hiring process. Some of the information released may be related to previous companies you have worked for, including your salaries in each job.
The law may vary from state to state for checking criminal history of individuals. Some laws do not allow details of arrests and convictions beyond a certain number of years, while others only share criminal history for certain employment positions.
When employees are hired for a new job, an employment verification check must be done, as an employee needs to prove that they are legally allowed to work in USA. The employer must record and keep an Employment Eligibility Verification letter (I-9 Form) of the employee.
Employment verification letter
An employment verification letter called the I-9 form is used to verify the identity and authorization of employment for individuals, who are hired for employment purposes in the United States. It is the responsibility of both the employer and the employee to complete the form. On the form, an employee must showcase his employment authorization and present acceptable paperwork and documents that will attest to his employment eligibility in the United States. The employer must do a thorough employment history verification of the potential employee, and examine whether his documents are genuine, which will be recorded on Form I-9. All employers are required to retain Form I-9 for a designated timeframe. This form must be made available to authorized government officers for inspection, in order to confirm the background check employment verification done by the employer.
In order to complete employment verification, all employers must ensure that this form is completed for citizen and non-citizen employees. So, if you are a US-based employer, it is time to ensure that all your employees meet the necessary requirements, or you may face legal penalties. If you want to check up on more details about employment verification, you can log onto www.4safedrivers.com and choose from various options. If you need any further help with the process or have some queries, you can contact their customer service representatives between Monday and Friday from 9am to 5pm at 1-877-753-6667.
