« Get Into Real Estate After Passing Real Estate Licensing Exam | Home | Real Source Of Data Entry Jobs. »
Why Check Criminal Records
By Sid | September 14, 2008
Since 9/11, Americans have become very security conscious. It is increasingly common for job seekers to find that a prospective employer checks criminal records, as part of the hiring process. Many companies are even conducting background checks on long-time employees. As a result, some people are finding that youthful indiscretions that had been previously overlooked are coming back to haunt them once their criminal records checks are completed.
As part of the Government’s identity theft solutions a company must always obtain a prospective employee’s written consent before it can run a check and get criminal record information. Read your application carefully. Often the wording for obtaining consent for a criminal record check is written into the job application, though some companies use a separate consent form. Many states have laws limiting how far back they can check for convictions, or limiting the types of convictions they take into account for business or job-related offenses. Even if your record has been expunged, these types of offenses may still come up in a criminal records search. You may want to check with a lawyer to find out how far into the past an employer can look for arrests or convictions.
A licensing board is an agency that checks criminal records for people who wish to work in many occupations. Teachers, health care workers, childcare or elder care workers and accountants are examples of license applicants who may be subject to criminal record search. The licensing agency may limit the background check to occupation-related offenses. While a larceny conviction will most likely not cause a problem if applying for a license for massage therapy, one for prostitution or for a sex offense would. A criminal record can create special problems if you are applying for a license to work with vulnerable persons, such as children.
A past criminal offense can create problems for a person who is looking for work. This is true whether an employer is doing a criminal records search or it is a state licensing board that checks criminal records. If the arrest or conviction was in the distant past, then having a clean criminal record in the years since can work in your favor. Having the conviction expunged from your record can also help in getting a job or a professional license. In either case, if you have had a past brush with the law, you should talk to an attorney to find out how offense will affect your being able to find work.
Topics: Job Applications |
Comments are closed.