With more states legalizing marijuana use for medical and recreational use, employers have a right to be concerned.  VeriFirst has previously acknowledged that employers have the right to terminate an employee if they test positive for marijuana, however, some states are fighting against this. Even though marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 substance under federal law, states like Nevada and California are considering or passing legislation to rule out drug screening for pot.

Let's take a look at states changing laws regarding pre-employment drug screening for marijuana and what it could mean for employers.

Interviewing potential employees can take up a lot of time as you try to find the right candidate that fits the job. Apart from learning about the qualifications of the applicants, there are other important things to review including their criminal background, work history, license verification and more. Some companies overlook this because receiving the results on the background checks can take too long. However, in addition to local court searches, there are instant options that you can use to minimize risks to your business.

Know when and how to get Prompt Results for Employee Screening.

Hiring managers look to criminal background checks to provide accurate and relevant data for their hiring decisions. When a criminal background check reveals an arrest or conviction, it doesn't necessarily mean that the candidate is no longer eligible for the job.  Unfortunately, it's not that cut and dry. The manager has a lot to consider:

• Can they use arrest records without conviction?
• Does the record pass individualized assessment?
• Are the records true, timely and accurate?

It's important to understand the data that is provided in a criminal background check and when it's available. There could also be criminal charges that haven't made it to the report yet. 

Let's take a closer look ...

Employers screening potential applicants face more regulations such as Ban the Box and other "fair chance" laws to decrease discrimination in hiring. Landlords are also facing more legislation for the same reason. Within the past several months, there have been new laws for landlords and property owners looking to run background checks on their tenants. 

Read more to learn about new laws impacting landlords and tenant screening.

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Drug-Free Workplace Act requiring employers of federal workers and certain federal contractors to adopt a drug-free workplace policy and create drug-free awareness programs. Today, many employers have chosen to adopt these policies and programs as the norm. If your organization is considering implementing a drug-free workplace or already has one in place, this post will offer what to consider, reasons to adopt the policy, drug screening practices and more.

Read more to learn about screening practices and how to implement a drug-free workplace.

Every individual has numerous points of data that can be accessed in a background check. When hiring a new employee, you might assume that you should just "run all the checks". You don't have to. You can save the wait time and the money buy only running the screens necessary for that particular job. 

If you're looking to protect your business, running an employment background check can help minimize the risk of negligent hiring claims and high turnover.  Let's look at a basic employment background check and determine which screens you should include when hiring. 

When an employer or landlord runs a credit check on a future tenant or employee, they expect accurate information. Consumers also want to know that the information is correct and up-to-date. Adverse information on a background check, especially a credit report, can affect employment, housing, buying a car or obtaining a loan.  It's imperative that the information be true, verified and safe.

When running a credit background check on an applicant, can you trust what you see?

To individuals and businesses alike, background checks can be a mystery. Where are consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) or background screening companies getting their information? How accurate is the data? Is there a reason to update a background check on an employee? Just how well do you know your employees? At VeriFirst, our mission is to be a trusted and transparent screening provider so let's dive into these questions.

How often are background checks updated and where is the information coming from?

We do get asked this question occasionally (and probably should more often). Recruiters and hiring managers may naturally peruse an applicant's social posts - especially if they've applied via a social network such as LinkedIn. Is it a good idea?

Let's take a closer look at why an employer would want to check out a potential employee's use of social media. Can you include social media in background checks?