Zdravo!

As the ole saying goes 'time flies when you are having fun' and based on the feedback I am hearing around the industry and confirmed by Bruce Berg's report on the NAPBS Conference most companies are 'having fun' again with sales growth having returned. I am very happy for my colleagues and most of the 'tea leaves' are projecting even more hiring is on the horizon.

http://www.workplaceviolence911.com/docs/10000hrmanagers.pdf As most of you know we are launching a new 2011 Special Background Screening Buyers Guide that will feature the Platinum Members of PreemploymentDirectory.com that are CRA's. This is a great opportunity to get your company in front of more than 10,000 Human Resource Managers when there are only a small number of firms being featured.

There is still time to join us in this high profile marketing tool that will help increase your sales opportunities.

Click here to see an overview of the opportunity.

I read over 200 articles amonth to select the articles that will appear in The Background Buzz and one topic I frequently see posed to various professions is 'What keeps you up at night? So I decided to ask professional background screeners, what keeps you up at night? Click on the ' keeps me up at night' to respond. I will report the results next month.

I also want to welcome Larry Henry, Rhodes Hieronymus Jones Tucker and Gable Law firm, as the new provider of questions for the U.S. Legal Challenge Column. Be sure and visit the column to test your knowledge.

Do your clients view you as an expert resource? Two of the proven ways of establishing yourself as an expert is to distribute a newsletter to your clients that reflects your firms' knowledge and expertise, and a second way is to provide them with relevant information that demonstrates you are on top of the latest information. We can help you with both of these.

We offer a Private Label Newsletter Service that will create a customize newsletter for you. Because of the breath of information we gather to produce our newsletter we also have a wealth of information relevant to background screening that you can provide to your clients. A good example is the new 2011 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet which is a repository of information, statistics and charts on workplace violence. This is great information to pass on to HR and Security professionals who rate workplace violence as an issue of on-going concern. We invite you to have your clients accept a complimentary copy of this landmark report. It can be accessed at www.Workplaceviolence911.com.

Thanks again for being a reader of The Background Buzz and stay safe until next time.



PS -Zdravois hello in Slovenia pronounced "Stravo"

GOLD SPONSOR

South Daytona 'Crime Free' Housing Plan Gains Traction

The Gina Apartments on Orange Blossom Drive now boast a new sign designating the complex as a Crime Free Multi-Housing Program property."It's an easy program to follow. The best part of the program is that owners, managers, and tenants having a relationship with the city's police officers," Amy Johnson, owner of the Gina Apartments, said. Johnson was the city's first landlord to complete Phase III of the program, which began in December. The program consists of three phases and is taught by program administrators Tony Labombard and George Rizzo, both officers with the South Daytona Police Department. The program trains property managers to reduce crime by utilizing crime-prevention techniques, implementing security requirements and tenant screening. It also uses a Crime-Free lease addendum outlining specific criminal acts that can result in immediate termination of a resident's lease.

According to Johnson, a problem with drugs in the area several years ago chased away good tenants. However, after the owner of a nearby property took over the management, the drug problem has been greatly reduced.

For more information click here

Sponsored By:

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 Larry Henry, Rhodes, Hieronymus, Jones, Tucker& Gable P.L.L.C.for providing the expertise for this valuable endeavor. For information regarding the answers to the Legal Challenge Questions, please contact Larry Henry at lhenry@rhodesokla.com or (918)582-1173 or visit www.seyfarth.com.

Please choose your answer by clicking on it:

When a CRA is providing a investigative consumer report (information obtained through personal interviews) what are the special restrictions on such reports? A. Information in the CRA's file must be re-verified if it is older than three (3) months? B: Provide specific disclosures to the consumer that a report has been requested. C: Public record information must be re-verified within thirty (30) days of furnishing the report? D: Verify adverse information obtained by interview with an additional source or determine if the person interviewed is the best possible source of the information E. All of the above.

Can An Inexpensive Background Check Prevent Tragedy?

Can employers face liability for failing to conduct pre-employment background checks? What background information may employers consider? Should a 20-year-old homicide conviction preclude someone from driving a bus? These are some of the questions arising in the wake of a recent tragic bus accident involving a driver with a criminal record.

Based on this tragic story, employers are reminded to determine if their employee-screening strategy is both legal and adequate. Inadequate precautions may lead to disaster (and, obviously, claims by customers, employees, and others). Failing to follow federal and state rules on background screenings may lead to civil rights charges or claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by rejected applicants. Below are some of the major issues involved in developing an appropriate strategy. But first, a consideration of the facts of the recent tragedy reveals some practical challenges and potential consequences.

To read the full article click here

Criminal Background Checks on the Horizon for Home Enterprise Industry

New Jersey - A bill recently introduced and currently under review by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee (A3889), if passed, would require criminal background checks for owners and employees of home services enterprises.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published in the Federal Register this date a Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM):

The FMCSA proposes to amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to incorporate by reference the most recent version of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Inc.'s (AAMVA) Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS) State Procedures Manual.

Bill To Prohibit Certain Convicted Felons From Being Hired

A bill ( S.B. 15 ) introduced in Michigan would prohibit certain convicted felons from being employed by the state. Under the bill, the state could not hire anyone who had been convicted of a felony involving dishonesty, deceit, fraud, or a breach of public trust in the previous 20 years to any position in which the employee would set policy or have discretionary authority over public assets.i

Background Checks Legislation Introduced in US Senate

On March 15, Senator Burr (R-NC) reintroduced legislation, S. 581, the "Child Care Protection Act of 2011," requiring a comprehensive background check for all child care providers.

EmployeeScreenIQ Partners with BankersOnline.com to Introduce Banker Background Check

Global employment screening provider EmployeeScreenIQ has entered a partnership with BankersOnline.com to provide customized background check services to North American financial institutions. Jointly developed by the two companies, "Banker Background Check" (http://www.bolbackgroundcheck.com/) draws upon EmployeeScreenIQ's in-depth industry experience. Three levels of screening ensure that an institution fully complies with Federal banking hiring regulations: the robust screening process includes social security number traces, countrywide criminal searches, Federal District criminal record searches, Homeland Security checks, and financial sanctions checks. Higher levels of screening also include pre-employment credit reports, Federal bankruptcy searches and education and employment verifications.

For more information, visit http://www.employeescreen.com/public_announcements.asp

Innovative Enterprises Launches ExpertCourt™ Nationwide Court Research Solution

Innovative Enterprises, Inc., a strategic partner to the background screening industry and expert provider of court research information products, smart data solutions and ancillary services, today announced the official launch of its ExpertCourt™ advanced country criminal court research solution.

A significant enhancement to the traditional county criminal search, ExpertCourt™ blends Innovative's unmatched expertise and industry-leading county courthouse research products with multidimensional quality control methodologies to deliver a seamless, end-to-end court research solution that is unsurpassed in the background screening industry. The ExpertCourt™ solution automatically leverages Innovative's proprietary Advanced Criminal Extraction™ court analysis engine, a highly advanced and custom engineered synthesis of industry-leading technologies designed to methodically inspect electronically-available court resources.

ExpertCourt™ is available in all 3,141 U.S. counties and is not sold directly to employers but is instead available through Innovative's carefully-selected network of Screening Industry Partners™.

For more information go to http://www.knowthefacts.com/news/2011/4/5/31/innovative-enterprises-launches-expertcourt-nationwide-court-research-solution/.

SJV & Associates Announces Strategic Partnership With Fetch Technologies

SJV & Associates , a leading wholesale provider of in-person court records research, announced today an exclusive agreement to incorporate Fetch Technologies' automated background screening solution into its product line. Through the partnership, SJV will now offer automated access to information from 300 online data sites and over 1500 jurisdictions nationwide. Clients of SJV will also have access to a new full extraction library that will enable background screening companies to retrieve comprehensive results from multiple jurisdictions, including both Sex Offender Registry and National Sex Offender Registry. The automated solution will create a faster, more accurate data-gathering process for clients.

"We are pleased to announce this breakthrough partnership that will empower background screening companies with leading edge technology, saving them valuable time, resources, and operating costs," said Scott Vanek, President of SJV & Associates. "This partnership allows our clients to have access to both advanced technology solutions and conventional research methods all through the same system. Ultimately we want to provide our clients with the fastest and most accurate information."

For More Information go to http://www.sjvassoc.com/

SHRM Report Says 33% of HR Pros to Hire in Q2

Thirty-three percent of human resources professional say they plan to hire in the second quarter of this year, up from 24 percent who said the same a year ago, according to a survey of human resources professionals by the Society for Human Resource Management. Broken down by company size, 35 percent of midsize companies (100 to 499 employees) were likely to add jobs in the second quarter. Large and small companies followed closely, with 33 percent and 32 percent respectively. Thirty-six percent of survey respondents hired staff in the first quarter of 2011, according to the report. The survey also found that job losses continue to decline.

To read the full report click here

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI)

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) increased in February for the fifth consecutive month. The index now stands at 101.7, up from January's revised figure of 100.1. The index is up over 8 percent from a year ago.

Says Gad Levanon, Associate Director, Macroeconomic Research at The Conference Board: "In the past half year, the economy has been adding, on average, about 110,000 jobs per month. The strong growth in the Employment Trends Index suggests that the pickup in jobs may accelerate in the next couple of quarters. However, with a shrinking government, a stagnant construction sector, and a manufacturing recovery that has only a small impact on overall employment, overall job growth will still be modest."

To read the full report click here:

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.

Public Record Update

Sponsored by:

Public Record Update
By Mike Sankey, April, 2011

The Social Security Administration has decided it will no longer issue new SSNs with a logistical sequence of numbering that indicate the state of issue and year of issue.

Effective June 25, 2011, all new SSNs will be issued on a purely random basis. The SSA will eliminate the geographical significance of the first three digits, currently referred to as the area number (assignment to individuals in specific states). The significance of the fourth and fifth digits of the SSN for validation purposes will also be eliminated. Randomization will still exclude area numbers 000, 666 and 900-999.

Thus, the existing tables and validation services will be frozen in time - they can be used for validation of SSNs issued prior to the randomization implementation date, but not going forward.

Reprinted with permission of BRB Publications, Inc.

To read the full article click here:

Report Finds Workplace Violence Still A High Risk, But Awareness Growing

Threats of workplace violence should remain at the forefront for security professionals. The recent release of the 2011 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet found that more than 5,900 people have been murdered while working in the last 10 years. Workplace homicides continue to be the third leading cause of death for people at work, according to the report, with an average of 590 homicides every year. However, that number doesn't include the number of attempts or suicides that happen in the workplace, said Barry Nixon, founder and executive director of the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, a consulting, training and research firm that specializes in working with organizations to prevent workplace violence. That number is much higher, he said.

The good news is that the number of incidents of workplace violence seems are going down. Nixon attributes this to increased funding for security measures. "Funding is having a residual impact on reducing workplace violence because security programs, even though they may not be directly targeted at workplace violence, were helpful to reduce it," he said. Also, high-profile incidents have increased the awareness of workplace violence and made employers and employees more aware. "I am seeing a very positive trend with more companies approaching us to help them with preventative and proactive programs than we haven't seen in past years," he said. "That tells me people are getting the message that prevention is better than reaction." After all, reacting after a serious incident is expensive.

To get complimentary copy of the 2011 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet click here

To read the full article click here

Drug Test's One-Strike Rule Tested

The Pacific Maritime Association represents the shipping lines, terminal operators, and stevedore companies that run ports along the West Coast of the United States. It acts as the collective bargaining agent and payroll administrator for those employers and enforces policies governing the hiring of longshore workers. One long-standing policy enforced by the association is a "one-strike rule," under which any applicant who fails its standard drug test is eliminated from consideration for employment and permanently disqualified from future employment.

For more information click here

How Safe Are Legal Drugs in the Workplace?

While the dangers of alcohol and use of illegal drugs in the workplace have been much discussed and well documented, little attention has been paid to the effects of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Yet, some of these drugs can cause serious impairment problems and could interact with other drugs or foods in ways that can jeopardize workplace safety. For example, a study performed some years back at the University of Iowa found that a dose of Benadryl, a common OTC antihistamine, can impair driving performance as much as alcohol.

It's important to encourage your employees to inform themselves about the possible job safety risks that could result from taking medications and to require employees to inform their supervisor if they are taking any medication that could cause impairment if their job involves any kind of safety hazard. Depending on the risks, the supervisor might decide to temporarily reassign the employee while he or she is on the medication.

For more information click here

Montserrat Miller is a Partner with the law firm Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP and is based in Washington, DC. Ms. Miller's practice focuses on privacy and immigration compliance, as well as representation before Congress and federal regulatory agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Homeland Security.

You can contact Monterrat at Montserrat.Miller@AGG.com or visit http://www.agg.com/Contents/Home.aspx

Last month I wrote about the use of background checks in hiring, focusing quite a bit on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). I would like to follow up with a recent federal case decided against the EEOC.

In EEOC v. Peoplemark Inc. (W.D. Mich. March 31, 2011), the EEOC alleged in its Complaint that Peoplemark had a blanket policy "which denied the hiring or employment of any person with a criminal record," and that such a policy had a disparate impact on African-Americans. Clearly, a blanket "felon need not apply" policy could be deemed unlawful pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Problem is, the company did not have such a policy and the EEOC spent years and taxpayer dollars to investigate and litigate a case in which the judge chastised the EEOC for dragging out this case once they were aware, or should have been aware, that their assertion was not true. In fact, Peoplemark did and had hired individuals with a criminal record.

The EEOC filed suit in 2008, with the commission's unanimous approval to proceed with the case against Peoplemark. In the end, after the EEOC could not present a statistical expert to lay out the disparate impact claim, the court ordered the EEOC to pay Peoplemark a total of $751,942.18 in attorneys' fees, expert fees and other miscellaneous fees. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this undermines the EEOC's credibility and, at least for the foreseeable future, disparate impact claims will be viewed by attorneys representing employers with suspicion.

Notwithstanding this case, the EEOC views this issue as an important one and they have held a series of hearings over the years on point, including examining the treatment of unemployed job seekers (Feb. 2011), employer use of credit history as a screening tool (Oct. 2010) and employment discrimination faced by individuals with arrest and conviction records (Nov. 2008). There is still talk about a future commission hearing on the use of criminal records in employment, but perhaps the Peoplemark case will derail this hearing.

To read the full report click here

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

Visit our VENDOR SHOWCASE which features suppliers to the Background Screening Industry.

New! Winter 2011 Directory of Suppliers Now Available - Click Here!

Welcome and Bienvenue to the
International Legal Challenge Question!

Sponsored by:

Most industries and firms now compete in a global marketplace which is continuing to increase the need for background checks for new hires that will reside in another country or that are being hired from another country. Commensurate with this growth in background checks is the need to understand the myriad of data protection, privacy, human rights and local laws that govern the practice of conducting background checks. To help background screening firms around the world to further enhance their knowledge we have launched this International Legal Challenge.

We are grateful to Brian Arbetter a Partner with the global law firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP for providing the question and answer to the questions in the International Legal Challenge. Brian is based out of the Firm's Chicago and San Diego offices. His practice focuses on international law issues, with particular emphasis on labor and employment, as well as workplace privacy. For information regarding the answers to the International Legal Challenge questions, please contact Brian at brian.arbetter@bakermckenzie.com.

Please Choose One of the Following Answer in Response to the Question

Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) protects personally identifiable information, defined as Personal Information under the Act. Which one of the following statements is false?

A. Personal Information does not include consumer contact details.

B. Personal Information does not include a person's job title.

C. Personal Information does not include a person's business telephone number.

D. Personal Information does not include a person's business addres.

For information on sponsoring The International Legal Challenge Question please Click Here

Reding Outlines Costs To Business Of EU Privacy Legislation

Viviane Reding, European commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, has been outlining the costs and legal strategy behind forthcoming EU data privacy legislation .Speaking at a public meeting hosted by the European People's Party, Reding said that the new plans, expected this summer , would impose some extra costs on businesses. However, these would be more than mitigated by a reduction of red tape within the EU and the opening up of the market to innovation."All fundamental rights have a cost. The right to the protection of data is not an exception," she said. "Costs are carried by businesses, administrations and citizens - actually by society as a whole. But I believe that companies have specific responsibility because data is often their main economic asset."Reding said that by initiating an EU-wide framework for data management, the variable costs to companies of complying with a plethora of different legal frameworks in member states would be eliminated. The rules of applicable law will also be simplified to reduce costs further.

Read more click here

Manager Hiring Back at 2008 Levels

56% of companies have employed at least one manager in the first quarter of 2011 according to new research from the Association for the Employment of Managers (APEC) and 53% of French companies intend to hire at least one manager in Q2 2011, an increase of +10 points over Q1 2010 and an increase of +17 points over Q1 2009. More than 80% of French employers with hiring intentions are looking for managers with between one and ten years work experience.

To read the full report please click here (the report is in french)

News from Hong Kong: Major Credit Agency Passes Test of Privacy Commissioner But Deficiencies Noted

In Hong Kong, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data recently exercised his rights under Section 36 of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and conducted an inspection of the data system of TransUnion Limited, Hong Kong's major credit reference agency. While the inspection did not reveal any major data breaches or issues, the Commissioner has reported deficiencies in TransUnion's personal data system and made a number of recommendations for improvement.

To read more click here

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India Calls for National Body to Prevent Cyber Crimes

Industry experts and policy makers called for creating a national body to evolve a fine balance between cyber data protection and privacy of citizens as the society and businesses become a part of the huge electronic ecosystem.They also demanded a detailed regulatory, legal and policy-enabling regime to facilitate further protection and preservation of cyber security. Cyber secrecy and network security are extremely relevant in today's context, said MrPawanDuggal at the 4th international conference on 'Safeguarding the Digital Economy' organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Ms B. Bhamathi, secretary at the ministry of home affairs, said the government is working on a Rs. 2,000 crore criminal tracking network project which is aimed at seamless connectivity among 16,000 police stations across the country, allowing them to share information on crimes and criminals in real-time.

ASSOCHAM's secretary general D.S. Rawat said cyber security issues are a major concern for corporates worldwide. However, he said the chamber's vital suggestions have been accepted by the Parliamentary Consultative Committee and incorporated in the Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008.

To read more click here

India 's Population Touches 1.2 Billion

The country's population has touched 1.2 billion (121 crore), indicating a rise of 17.64 per cent, according to the provisional results of the 15th Census. The combined population of Uttar Pradesh (19.95 crore) and Maharashtra (11.23 crore) is bigger than that of the US. Among the states and Union territories, UP is the most populous state with 19.95 crore people while Lakshadweep is the least populated with just 64,429 people.

While releasing the provisional figures of the Census 2011, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner C Chandramauli said, "The male population has grown by 17.19 per cent (62 crore) while the female population has risen by 18.12 per cent (58 crore) in the country."

India 's effective literacy rate has recorded a 9.2 per cent rise to reach 74.04 per cent, according to the 2011 census data. The literacy rate has improved sharply among females as compared to the males.Ten states and union territories, including Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Tripura, Goa, Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Delhi and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, have attained literacy rate above 85 per cent.

To read more click here

We Specialize in Promoting the Products and Services of businesses in the Background Screening Industry.
Click on the specific Marketing Portfolio above that fits your business.

Essential Practices for Conducting Background Checks in Japan

There is no one specific law governing background screening in Japan, however, various pieces of legislation do cover parts of the screening process. Until recently, employers had the right, under Japanese law, to conduct employment background checks on candidates. Unless the scope of the background check was extremely unreasonable, or clearly unnecessary, and could be viewed as an invasion of privacy, candidates had the obligation to respond truthfully to questions posed by their potential employers.

The practice of background screening in Japan nowadays however has been limited greatly in the past several years by the enactment of new legislation relating to discrimination, privacy and dealing with third party agencies.

The five main laws that should be considered when designing and implementing a screening program in Japan are:

• Japan's Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL)
• Labor Standards Law (Chapter 1 Article 3 ) 1947
• Welfare (MHLW) in 2000
• Human Resource Development in High-level IT - Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
• Action Guide Regarding to the Protection of Personal Information of Workers (Action Guide)

To read the full article click here

Mexico Will Not Rush to Compliance Review, Enforcement of New Law, DPA Chief Assures

Mexico's data protection authority will not rush to carry out compliance inspections or take enforcement actions when rules implementing the country's new data protection law begin taking effect in July, the head of the DPA, the InstitutoDeral De Acceso a la InformaciónPública (IFAI), said March 10 at a conference.

As soon as the final rules are published in July, the government expects businesses and other covered entities to begin following the basic requirements that they appoint an individual to be in charge of data protection and establish written data security and privacy policies, IFAI President Commissioner Jacqueline PeschardMariscal said.

But the government will not immediately begin verification activity, she said. Instead, the IFAI will focus on training and education of covered entities in the requirements of the rules, Mariscal said at a session of the International Association of Privacy Professionals Global Privacy Summit.

Mexico's Federal Law Protecting Personal Data in Private Possession regulates for the first time on a federal level how businesses and individuals handle personal data. It technically took effect July 6, 2010 (9 PVLR 1016, 7/12/10), but the implementing rules are not expected before this July, according to the IFAI (10 PVLR 368, 3/7/11).

Enforcement of the new law is slated to begin in January 2012, Mariscal confirmed at the conference panel entitled "Privacy: What You Need to Consider When Doing Business in North America."

To read the full article click here

Essential Practices for Conducting Background Checks in Mexico

Potential candidates may be required to consent to background checks in Mexico, including requests about their criminal history, consumer credit, and motor vehicle records, as a condition of employment. If consent is not provided, an employer may legally refuse to hire a potentially qualified candidate. An employer must request the background check of an applicant prior to extending an offer of employment. The applicant must then decide if they will consent to undergo the background check process. Employers must be able to demonstrate proof of consent. In order to substantiate valid consent was obtained it must include specific language indicating that the candidate agrees to the background check.

There is no one specific law governing background screening in Mexico, however various pieces of legislation do cover parts of the screening process. These areas include the following:

• Constitution of Mexico ,
• Mexico Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data in the Possession of Private Entities ,
• Federal Law of Transparency and Public Access to Government Information ,
• Transparency and Access to the Federal District Public Information Law

To read the full article click here

EU Article 29 Data Protection Working Party finds New Zealand adequate

At their plenary session on 4-5 April, the EU Article 29 Data Protection Working Party adopted an Opinion that New Zealand's data protection legislation provides an adequate level of protection in relation to the European Union Data Protection Directive. The WP noted that the New Zealand legislation preceded the Directive and was modeled on the OECD Guidelines. The Opinion now will be considered by the European Commission in making an official adequacy decision.

To the full report click here

Fraud By Employees is Growing

Fraud by employees is the fastest growing economic crime, accounting for between 60% and 85% of all fraud committed against businesses - depending whose figures you believe. The annual Fraud Barometer, published by KPMG, showed a 50% increase in the first half of 2008. Bank related fraud recorded its highest ever year-on-year rate of increase.

In attempting to prevent fraudulent acts being committed by employees a great deal of emphasis is placed on employee screening ahead of employment, either by a firm's own HR professionals or through third parties, such as employment agencies. Realistically, such measures cannot be relied on to do more than deter and filter out some applicants, with existing 'form'. Even if effective screening can be afforded at all levels of an organisation, the emphasis on new employees can be misleading. Fraud experts point out that individual fraud is often perpetrated by employees who have a significant length of service. According to the Workplace Law Network " 90% of fraudulent employees have been with their employer for more than a year - and 20% for more than a decade "

If you can't keep fraudsters out of your business, robust internal controls will serve to detect as well as to deter.

For more information click here

Camden Council Driver Cleared By CRB Abuses Child

A man cleared in a background check had child abuse convictions and went on to abuse a child.The "vulnerable" child was abused while being driven to school in 2008 by the man working for Camden Council.Despite convictions abroad for abuse, the driver had been given a green light by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).The council has been fined £1,200, while the a spokeswoman for the Home Office, which runs the CRB, said: "The CRB has always been clear that if organisations recruit from overseas, a CRB check may not provide a complete picture of an individual's criminal history."The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating how the driver was given CRB clearance by the Home Office.

To read more click here

• World Federation of People Management Associations: www.wfpma.org/default.asp
  
• Chartered Institute for Professional Development: http://www.cipd.co.uk/training/EMPUDP/about.htm
  
• Business Forums International: http://www.bfi.co.uk/news.asp
  
• Symposium Events: http://www.symposium-events.co.uk

Featured Course:

Employing and Vetting Non-UK Nationals 2011

Tuesday 10th May 2011 - CCT Venues - Canary Wharf, London

In the light of the Government's introduction of a 'cap' on non-EU workers, this is a must attend update for all employers who recruit foreign nationals.

( Click Here to View full list of 2011 Events ) - Updated Monthly

Visit the Job Board for the Employment and Tenant Screening Industry. Here you will find resumes of people with industry experience and employers seeking applicants with experience in Employment and Tenant Screening and related businesses.

www.backgroundscreeningjobs.com

2011 Events ( Click Here to View full list of 2011 Events ) - Updated Monthly

SHRM State Conferences, visit http://www.shrm.org/Conferences/StateAffilliateConferences/Pages/default.aspx

Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA), 2011 Training Course Schedule, visit
http://datia.org

SAPAA Training Institute Learning Events, http://www.sapaa.com/

CUPA-HR Conferences: http://www.cupahr.org/newsroom/news_template.asp?id=5445

World Federation of People Management Associations, Events, http://www.wfpma.com/events/byregion.asp