.jpg)
Election Day is almost upon us. Of course you know this because you can't escape the tv ads, the endless mailbox stuffers, the prime time phone calls, the knocks on your door on Sunday afternoon or the neverending email quips, jokes and "facts." Our country has certainly come a long way since the first real two-party election in 1796.
In April 1789 when George Washington took the oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City as the first president of the United States, he noted in his diary: ‘I bade adieu to Mount Vernon, to private life, and to domestic felicity, and with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express."
Whether Republican, Democrat, Independant or none of the above, you may be feeling anxious and painful sensations as well. But the bottom line is: Vote! It is a privilege and a right and a responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly. Set the example for your employees by voting and encourage them to do so. Many states have laws that provide for employees to take paid time off work in order to vote.
In Ohio an employer may not terminate or threaten to terminate an
employee for taking a reasonable amount of time to vote on Election
Day. (See Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §3599.06.). But why would you want to. Take some time to make scheduling changes as necessary and do what you can to facilitate your staff's right to vote. It may be as simple as letting them come in a few minutes late or leave a few minutes early; but whatever you creatively decide, don't shy away from making accomodations to vote. Your employees will respect and appreciate you for it and you'll stay on the right side of the law.
In This Issue
1. Feature Article - Address Discrepancy and the Red Flags Rule
2. Meet the Team - Lisa Halsey, Research Specialist
3. Tips & Tidbits - Preventing ID Theft in the Workplace
4. Question of the Month - Why Do I Have to Verify Database Records?
Feature Article
November 1, 2008 marks the day that new rules dealing with address discrepancies in consumer credit reports will go into effect.
We all know that identity theft has become a growing problem over the years costing consumers and businesses millions of dollars. With this in mind the FTC has taken action to help offset this trend by implementing some new regulations as part of FACTA.
For the most part employers won't be impacted too greatly. You may be jumping through a few more hoops, but the end result will benefit your organization if for no other reason than to ensure you aren't hiring someone who has presented himself fraudulently.
Here's how it works:
Only employers who request credit reports on applicants during a background screening will be affected. If the credit bureau compiling the report (CIC clients use TransUnion) finds an address discrepancy which raises a red flag, the employer will receive a notice from the credit bureau.
If notice of address discrepancy is received employers will need to take reasonable measures to verify the identity of the applicant. You can do this through the applicant directly, employment applications and other paperwork, or using a third party if necessary.
Employers who use credit reports will need to establish policies to be in compliance with these new regulations. The policy should address what procedures will be followed should notice of address discrepancy be recieved from the credit bureau, what measures will be taken to ensure the identity of the applicant and how the findings be reported to the bureau.
Financial institutions and Creditors will have to go a step further in establishing an Identity Theft Prevention Program as well as the above policy. This program must:
1. Identify Relevant Red Flags
2. Detect Red Flags
3. Respond Appropriately to Red Flags
4. Ensure that the Program is Updated
Periodically.
The good news is that an extension of 6 months has been granted to give creditors and financial institutions additional time to develop these programs. The new enforcment date for this portion of the regulations is May 1, 2009.
As your conduit for credit reports requested in your background screening reports, CIC is prepared to submit your findings directly to TransUnion on your behalf. Please call our office if and when you receive an address discrepany notice from TransUnion and we will work with you to help you through the next steps.
In the meantime, it is strongly recommended that you contact your labor attorney to further clarify these rules with you and how they may impact your business. Their expertise in creating the policies and procedures needed will be invaluable.
Pamela Rodriguez is the Pre-Employment Coordinator for CIC. For comments or questions about this article you can contact her at 419-874-2201 ext. 16; prodriguez@corpintel.com
Currently there are over 600 bills on the floor of Congress that will affect pre-employment screening if passed. Corporate Intelligence Consultants is a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). Through this organization we are not only watching these bills closely, but also working with members of congress to educate them on the needs of our clients and work to direct them to vote in ways that will ultimately benefit you. CIC will make sure you are in the know as bills are passed that effect your business.
Research Specialist
Meet the Team
For those of you who have been able to avoid hiring someone who falsified their credentials, whether it be the degree they never really received or the employer they never really worked for, you need no introduction to our in-house sleuth!
Lisa has been with CIC for 4 years and brings much to the table. She takes pride in her work and is determined to not only get the most accurate but also the most useful information for our clients. Her professionalism and work ethic shows in the quality of her work. Our clients have come to learn that with Lisa on the case, their requests are in good hands.
Lisa not only verifies past employment of applicants, education, licensing and references as well as workers' comp claim histories, but she also works on cases with our investigative team. Often a client is unable to locate a "missing" person, or they need information on an individual's assets. She may research fraud, investigate criminal histories and gain insight into a subjects daily schedule - all information that can be crucial to an ongoing investigation.
In our office Lisa has created The Board of Shame - a bulletin board covered with fake diplomas! It's amazing how many people will turn in false credentials to their prospective employers. And it's so easy to do in the age of computers and editing software. What's not easy, is getting it past Lisa's keen eye!
Something else you might not know about our "Lisa H" is that she has a blackbelt in Karate and as an instructor teaches little tykes (ages 2 and up) how to kick their way to blackbelt, too! As you can imagine, we are very nice to Lisa H!
If you'd like to learn more about any of the services mentioned, just give us a call and Lisa will be happy to answer your questions.
Tips & Tidbits
If you're like most companies, you have very sensitive, confidential information in personnel files. You need this info for payroll at a minimum but also possibly to fill orders, and other necessary business functions. The FTC understands that if sensitive data falls into the wrong hands it can lead to identity theft, fraud and/or a whole slew of other problems. With this in mind they've created a basic data security plan built on 5 key principles:
1. Take Stock. Know what personal information you have in your files and on your computers.
2. Scale down. Keep only what you need for your business.
3. Lock it. Protect the information that you keep.
4. Pitch it. Properly dispose of what you no longer need (Contact CIC's partner Allshred at 419-381-1162 for the best shredding solutions around).
5. Plan ahead. Create a plan to respond to security incidents.
For a more in depth look at each of these points log on to:
http://www.ftc.gov
CIC is a proud member of the following organizations:
For all other inquiries, call or email Lisa Olvera at 419-467-2482; lolvera@corpintel.com
