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Background Checks

Background Checks to Weed Out Workplace Bullies

I was reading a recent article about how WorkSafe in Australia  will be going to more than 40,000 employers to educated their employees on workplace violence and workplace bullies.   It is a pretty daunting task and one that takes awhile, as they interview staffers and provide training.

This decision comes after one poor soul was driven to suicide by workplace bullies.   Of course there is no end to workplace violence, in general, and the economic downturn has turned people sour, and the level of anger in the workplace has increased.  The lousy economy has resulted into increased levels of physical violence and verbal abuse in the office.   Some people do not handle adversity well and allow their emotions to get out of control.

Of course, conducting background checks will go a long way in weeding out the workplace bullies and those prone to commit violence in the workplace.   Doing the background check for criminal records and even county civil records where there are restraining orders against your candidate can prove helpful. Restraining orders usually result after domestic issues get out of hand.   With background checks you can discover if your candidate has any past history as a sexual offender or if he or she has a hatred for the opposite sex.

It is a good thing to come in after incidents of workplace violence and lecture and train employees on how not to act out in the workplace.  But the fact remains that the damage has already been done.  Someone has been hurt, or worse, and your business is embarrassed.   And costly lawsuits can result from the incident.

So check them out before you hire.

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Background Checks

Background Checks and the Criminal “Prayer” Sentence

When reviewing background checks most criminal records reveal a commonplace  disposition.    We find when reviewing the criminal records that jail sentences can range from suspended sentences and deferred sentences, to fines, a little bit of jail time, or lengthy prison sentences, depending on the crime.   This, of course, is when the suspect is found guilty, as opposed to the ones where the case is dismissed or the district attorney’s office doesn’t move forward to trial.  In that case the disposition is listed as Nolle Prosequi.

One of the more interesting aspects of criminal background checks is to find the disposition listed is “sentenced to prayer.”   I have seen this sentence more than a few times.  By no means is this a prevalence criminal sentence, but it does come up.   Obviously, it is for the more minor infractions.  Writing a bad check, public disturbances, assorted misdemeanors.   I have yet to see one where a convicted armed robber has been sentenced to prayer.

At first I viewed this sentence with skepticism, but then the more I thought about it the more sense it made.   I thought at first that there is really no way to monitor the convicted party to see how long he prayed, how intensely he prayed, or if in fact he prayed at all.    I thought probably someone who broke the law would not be inclined to pray as penance for the crimes committed.

But the more I thought about it, I considered that the Judge, having the defendant before him had a pretty good read on that person.  He may have asked the defendant questions about his own spiritual beliefs, which in turn may have prompted him to sentence the defendant to prayer.   The background checks of course would not show the interchange between the judge and the defendant, so the judge’s questions are jsut my assumption.

So with that in mind I realized the when one prays one focuses on issues beyond himself.   One looks deeper into situations and in a focused mode may come up with answers he would otherwise not find, given all of  life’s distractions.   After all, no matter what set of beliefs you have or what religion you follow, prayer is the act of focusing on issues larger than yourself.   And when focused in prayer, or deep contemplation for the more secular minded,  the defendant would then reexamine his actions and perhaps see the error of his ways.  He would try to amend his behavior and be less inclined to commit another crime.

Or not.  But in any event, upon reviewing background checks, I find “sentenced to prayer” a most interesting sentence.

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Background Checks

New Jersey Township to Require Background Checks

Maurice River Township will require background checks for employees in the municipality.     Maurice River Township is located in New Jersey.   According to the article in the Cumberland County News, while the ordinance was introduced, it is not clear who would conduct the background checks and which employment candidates would require a background check.

It is good to see that more state and local government agencies and public service agencies are mandating background checks on their prospective employees.   I have blogged about this a number of times, including an recent article entitled  Dallas County to Run Background Checks on Constables.     It is a sign of the times, and a great many state and municipal branches, school districts,  and public service agencies are seeing the writing on the wall.

Unfortunately, more than a few have sen that writing on the wall only after they discovered someone they hired had a previous criminal record.  Often that previous critical records concerned sexual offenders, and often that person had been hired to teach or work at a school or in a public service agency responsible for children.   In fact, more than one legislative body or public service agency has been embarrassed when the person they hired has committed misdeeds while on the job.  Then comes the review of that employee’s history, only to discover the past criminal records and assorted transgressions.

Perhaps there was a time when employers actually knew the people they were hiring, having shared proximity and various social relationships.  But in many instances that time has long passed.   People move around.   Employees and quite often nurses and healthcare employees commit crimes and infractions in one state, the type of which that warrant disciplinary actions, only to move on to another state.   Often their past infractions go undiscovered.

It is one thing for a state or public service agency to not run background checks. Stupid but somewhat understandable, given the budgetary constraints of a lousy economy.   But it is quite another to actually order the background checks and then have no one review them, carefully.    Or to order background checks and only to find they are slow in the turnaround process and supervisors forget to take a lot upon their return.   It is dangerous and a waste of money.

So check them out before you hire. And then review the reports.  Take advantage of what you paid for.

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Background Checks

Nevada County Background Checks Court Rate Changes

County Criminal records are an important element to conducting background checks as part of any preemployment screening program.    It is all but mandated that the employer run country criminal searches, and in the case of employment candidates who are senior executives, the county civil records search is highly desirable.  the county civil records search will indicate embarrassing law suits, domestic issues, and other cases that are not criminal but could still prove embarrassing to the employer.

Nevada has modified some of its county court fees.  Please find the list you know, so when you do conduct background checks you will be aware of the changes in your order.

Jurisdiction Court Product Area Court Fee
Mineral District & Justice Criminal

(Fel & Misd)

NV $0.00
Mineral District & Justice Civil

(Upper & Lower)

NV $0.00
Mineral Justice Low Civil NV $0.00
Humboldt Justice Civil

(Upper & Lower)

NV $7.00
Pershing District & Justice Criminal

(Fel & Misd)

NV $0.00
Pershing District Felony NV $0.00
Pershing District & Justice Civil

(Upper & Lower)

NV $0.00
Pershing District Upper Civil NV $0.00
Washoe District Felony NV $0.00