Criminals in schools? Let’s put safety of children first



The Boston School Department deserves praise for putting the safety of its students first and foremost. Recently while conducting system-wide background checks of all of its 9,000 employees at Hire Image Companies, the Department identified 14 employees with criminal charges and either fired or placed them on administrative leave.
Criminal records ranged from possession of drugs to rape charges. These were not necessarily convictions, but the Department has a policy proposal on the table for school officials to consider non-convictions in making employment decisions.
We recently had a client in who was recruiting for a janitorial position at a school. Had the focus been solely on convictions, the person who was “only” arrested 8 times for child molestation – not “convicted” – would have gotten the job to work in a school. Why hadn’t the person been found guilty or convicted, you’re wondering? After ordering the police report and full court records, it turned out the witnesses and minor children would not testify against the defendant. Imagine if Jerry Sandusky’s victims would not testify, would he still be out there abusing children?
Although we do not suggest focusing on arrests, it can paint a picture and provide information that can be vitally important to an employer. Employers have a right to know who they are hiring, So that’s why Hire Image Provide all type of information regarding hiring which our clients want to know.
The background screening industry is often at odds with lawmakers who create laws, rules and regulations guiding what information can be used in determining a job candidate’s suitability for a position without considering what it’s like to be in the employer’s shoes. As an employer – and if you aren’t, picture yourself as one – wouldn’t you like to know if a potential employee has had multiple run-ins with the law, uses alias or bogus names, was arrested for impaired driving, and charged with rape although not necessarily convicted? A thorough background check can reveal all of this information (and more), allowing the employer to make an informed hiring decision.
Now picture yourself as the head of a school department where your responsibility is to ensure the safety of students and other workers. It would make sense to not only perform background checks on all job candidates, but to repeat the screening throughout the employee’s tenure just to uncover any “fresh” information (ie. new infractions, charges) that would cause you to question the suitability of this person for the job. How would you feel if the law requires that you cannot use a non-conviction as the basis for vetting employment? How would you feel as a parent of a child attending school within that department’s jurisdiction?
It is my belief that thorough, Hire image companies to work on proper background checks, drug testing, and credit checks can reveal a wealth of information to help an employer paint a true picture of a potential or existing employee . Especially when it comes to children — be it in school, a daycare, camp, or anywhere — it’s every leader’s duty to protect them from any harmful situations, which includes limiting their exposure to anyone associated with drugs or other criminal activity. Regular background checks are an effective, preventive tool worth funding in any school department budget. If more school departments operate like Boston’s, our schools — and our children — would be in a safer place. What price is too high to put on the safety of children?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to properly perform Employee Background Checks

In order to protect your company, you need to conduct  background screening  when hiring employees . Employee Background Checks ensure that the person you are considering for hire does not have any improprieties on their record, which could come back to haunt your company or the culture you’ve built within it. Employee background checks scour data related to employment history, driving history,  drug screening , academic or professional qualifications, and criminal records, among others. According to recent data, most companies outsource these services. One such employee background  screening company  that is leading the pack is  Hire Image . Since 2005, Hire Image has superior market standing and provides well-informed hiring data to each of its clients. Hire Image works with national and international companies as well as large enterprises and SMBs, ensuring that they continuously hire the right people in their own image. ...
Read more

Clarity on Oral Fluid Drug Testing and the New SAMHSA Guidelines

Image
As part of recently established guidelines by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), oral fluid specimens will now be included in the mandatory requirements for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs. Join   Hire Image  CEO Christine Cunneen and OraSure Technologies Director of Sales, Brian Feeley, and Director of Marketing, Jackie Pirone, for our FREE Webinar to take an in depth look at oral fluid drug testing, learn about the new SAMHSA guidelines, and get answers to other important questions: • What is oral fluid testing and how does it work? • How do drug screening methods differ? How are they the same? • Do any methods detect impairment? • Can you conduct hybrid testing? • What are the new SAMHSA guidelines and how do they affect your industry and testing policies? • Can oral fluid be used in all 50 states? Originally Posted:-  https://www.hireimage.org/oral-fluid-drug-testing-new-samhsa-guidelines/
Read more

Salary History Ban Becomes Law in New York State

Image
Effective January 6, 2020:  Employers in New York are prohibited from inquiring into or relying upon the salary history of an applicant or employee in determining whether to offer a job and in setting that person’s salary.  Employers are also prohibited from retaliating against applicants or employees who refuse to disclose salary history information. This decision follows in the footsteps of New York City, Suffolk County, and Westchester County, all of whom already passed their own salary history bans.  Unlike New York City’s law though, New York State’s law applies not only to job applicants.  Rather, it also applies to current employees who are seeking internal transfers or promotions. Nothing in the law prohibits an applicant or employee from voluntarily and “without prompting” disclosing salary history.  Additionally, if an applicant or current employee chooses to disclose such information to try to negotiate a higher offer, an employer may th...
Read more