Frequently Asked Questions

Premier does a background investigation of a person. Premier compiles the details that were found after one or more investigation or search is conducted. When companies run background checks as part of their pre-employment screening process, the following common search options the employer will choose:

• Criminal Checks
• Driving Record
• Credit Report
• Drug Screen
• SSN Verification
• Past Employment Verification
• Education Verification
• Reference Verification
• ...and more

It is the responsibility of an employer to take actions that will help provide a safe environment for their employees and customers. There has been a very significant increase in the number of "Negligent Hiring" lawsuits that have been filed against employers in almost every State. For more information about this, do an Internet search on "Negligent Hiring."

Different pieces of information are needed to run different reports. Typically you will need:

• Name
• Social Security Number
• Date of Birth
• Current Address
• Driver’s License Number

The information that is publicly available on the Internet is typically very limited. While some courts do have online access, most have suppressed case information or identifiers that are used to determine if a name match is indeed your subject. Information like Credit Reports and Driving Records are very restricted. Companies use Background Check Companies as they should have someone who can walk into all 3400+ US County Court Houses and have specialized online access to Motor Vehicle Departments and Credit Bureaus.

When an employer is running a background check in order to make a decision on hiring or retention it is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to have written authorization from the subject of the search. The authorization form should be kept on file for five years.

It depends on what types of reports you run. Driving Records usually go back 3, 5, or 7 years depending on the State. Criminal information can sometimes go back 10-15 years, but it is becoming more common to check for 7 years due to some restrictions imposed by State level Fair Credit Reporting Acts.

This can vary based on what types of reports are selected, what level of offenses your candidate may have been involved with, how many times they have moved, and to a certain extent, how familiar they are with the criminal system. Background Checks can never be guaranteed to be 100% accurate based on how the system works. However, they go a long way in assisting the employer in providing a safer working environment and doing their due diligence.

Based on the selections made, some reports are instant. Others can take 2-4 business days. The search for criminal records in some outlying areas or when there is a potential record, can take a week.

There are a number of legislative acts that manage the relationship between the needs of the employer (security) and the rights of the individual (privacy). Some of these documents are the Federal and State Fair Credit Reporting Acts, The Driver’s Protection Privacy Act, The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and numerous other publications related to employment law specifically at the state level. While the Premier cannot provide legal guidance, we are knowledgeable in many of these areas and can share some practices that outer clients use.

**(This should not be seen as a substitute for legal counsel.)