If you have ever applied for a job, an apartment, or a security clearance, a Background Check was probably part of your screening process. Background reports are used to verify various types of information about an applicant. There are specific rules pertaining to background investigations that are administered by the Federal Credit Reporting Act and are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission oversees laws that protect job applicants from discriminatory practices concerning race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, genetic information, and people over the age of 40.
The most common inquiries into someone’s history are in the areas of employment, criminal record, education, credit, medical history, and the use of social media. Genetic information is not allowed from a prospective job applicant or employee unless job performance or safety issues are at stake. Investigating the personal use of social media is a new area of interest in compiling a personal portrayal of an applicant or current employee. Companies who sell background check services are required to abide by all the rules of the FCRA when they include reports about social media use. One of the rules is that the information is accurate and that the information pertains to the correct person.
Before a background check is conducted, certain notifications must be furnished to the applicant. A written notice, separate from the application, must state the intended use of the report. The applicant’s signature is required to conduct any investigations and the scope of the report must be clear and precise.
Is it really possible to get a Free Background Check? The answer is yes, but there are limitations. You must be willing to spend the time to do the research yourself. If the information you are seeking is from public records, it will be necessary for you to be physically located in the particular state where the court records are stored. An easier and faster way to obtain information for a Free Background Check is to conduct a search on Google, Linkedin, and Facebook. There are no guarantees that you will find any valuable data on these websites, but your time invested will not be extensive and there will be no fees.
Background histories are inevitable, but they need not be feared if you know your rights. If you are aware of any negative information that may appear on a background report, it will be helpful if you can explain the circumstances to the interested party. Honesty will speak loudly about your character.