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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany preemployment screening Recruiting Staffing Uncategorized

Background Checks Show the Alarming State of Healthcare Employees

When you think of healthcare workers you first think of caring and nurturing souls who are sensitive to the needs of their frail and informed patients.  You think of them in a positive context,  people who care for the elderly and the young.   You think of them as honest and capable.   If you do, then think again.

Now I want to be clear about those who work in the healthcare industry.  Most employees in the healthcare industry are in fact capable and caring, tending to our more vulnerable  citizens with the best intention.   They are often underpaid for what can  be stressful work.   They can be essential assets in helping the ill improve their lives or to sustain against the ravages of terrible disease or injury.  According to an article by Michael Finney on ABC7,  there is a detailed depiction of fraud and elderly abuse.

But then there are those who view their charges as prey.   As been often reported there are innumerable incidents of substance abuse, fraud, theft, and physical and mental abuses.   There are myriad instances of abuse and studies have been done to demonstrate just how dire employment conditions are int he healthcare industry.  Staffing groups either fail to conduct background checks or conduct inadequate background checks.   This is often a case of negligence or a deliberate attempt to slide over any incriminating background searches in the employment screening procedure.  The reason?   Staffing agencies are in business to get their employees hired.   And some staffing agencies are simply not as ethical as others and will overlook or fail to search for criminal records, allowing healthcare patients to take unnecessary risks.

Simply put, the case illustrated by the article in ABC News is a long way from an  isolated incident. Background checks conducted by the state under a new law passed last year have found nearly 1,000 convicted felons working or seeking jobs as caretakers for seniors and disabled in California.  However, California law only requires background checks when the patient is  either so  poor he can qualify for in home family assistance or rich enough that he can afford to hire caretakers also capable of  private  medical care.  The victim in the article was in the segment  of the middle class  paying for her own care out of pocket and currently unprotected by the new law.

I am sure this will not be the last incident we will read about where a patient is victimized by healthcare workers.   This process will continue until stricter regulation will be brought to bear.   It is also necessary to mandate that any staffing agency recruiting healthcare works not only conduct background checks but a prescribed series of background checks that will conform to  a uniform level of employment screening standards.

The public should not have to tolerate a condition where with healthcare workers are recruited after undergoing shoddy on non-existent scrutiny.   You cannot staff healthcare workers with substance abuse issues, or serious criminal records,  or with past disciplinary actions for abusing their patients, and not expect consequences.    When the consequences are persistent, it is time to change the course of action.   We need regulations both at the state and public level and for the staffing agencies responsible for recruiting healthcare workers.  Otherwise more patients will be damaged from the experience of being sick and needing assistance.

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Background Checks Economy Human Resources Miscellany Staffing Uncategorized

Corra Group Will Be Closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

Corra Group with be closed for the Thanksgiving Holidays.  Business Hours will be the regular times on Monday, November 22nd, and Tuesday, November 23rd.

However we will be closed at Noon Pacific Time on Wednesday, November 24th, and then Thursday, November 25th, and Friday, November 26th.    We will return and be open for business regular hours on Monday, November 29th.

Those in need of background checks and other employment screening services should take note that the criminal courts and civil courts throughout the United States will be closed on Thursday and Friday as well.   As the courts will also shut down early and not open again until Monday, November 29th, you can expect slight delays in turnaround times for criminal records and civil records.

As Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season, and since the economy appears to be rebounding, let us hope for a successful holiday season, where employers and retailers hire people, if even for seasonal jobs.   Everybody needs a decent holiday season.

Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to all.

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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Staffing Uncategorized

Turning Up the Heat on Diploma Mill Education Verification

There has been ongoing controversy as to what is a diploma mill and what is a legitimate institution of education.  Most are obvious.  Major universities, colleges that have been accredited by national and state accreditation bureaus are the easy ones.   Some of the diploma mills with no real accreditation other than a website and a place to collect tuition are the other no-brainers.

But then there are all the in-between schools, the schools that have been subjected to controversy and a bit of rancor.   In two articles, one in the New York Times, and the other in Gawker, several private, for-profit schools have been accused of providing less than stellar educations.  Among the accusations, the listed schools, and others, are accused of staffing a sub-part teaching staff.  The education they provide have come under suspicion and many graduates complain of heave debt loads and low paying jobs.

According tot he other in the New York Times, for-profit education companies have come under intense scrutiny from Congress, amid growing concerns that the industry leaves too many students mired in debt, and with credentials that provide little help in finding jobs.  Kaplan is facing several legal challenges.  The article notes that the Florida attorney general is investigating eight for-profit colleges for alleged misrepresentation of financial aid.   The investigation also focuses on deceptive practices regarding recruitment, enrollment, accreditation, placement and graduation rates.

There are assorted whistle blower suits and accusations that many practices within the for-profit schools constitute one big scam, designed to obtain money from the federal government for student funding while leaving the student holding the bag for the debt.      In the economic downturn, with many employers downsizing staffs and laying off workers, more unemployed are seeking to better their chances at finding new work by going back to school.   Many schools of interest are the for-profit schools, which one source told me are doing a bang up business by teaching the desperate new skills.

Is it fair?  Are they really preying on the unemployed who are hoping in this lousy economy to better their chances of finding work by assuming a great deal of debt for advanced eduction.   Many are saying the erstwhile students are not getting much bang from their buck.   As for the schools themselves, they are in danger of losing federal funding as many of their disgruntled graduates are failing or refusing to pay off their loans.    Once the number repaying the debt falls below 45 percent the school is at risk of losing eligibility for federal money.

What is the bottom line to this? To me, the bottom line is simple. Human resources personnel and recruiters conduct education verifications. Do they consider a degree from a for-profit university on par with that from a more traditional university?   Does it really increase an applicant’s of getting hired. Does it give the candidate the edge, or is that piece of paper simply not worth those thousands of dollars in debt? I would want to know up front if employers regard the for-profit degree with the same consideration they would from say a public university or college. I would venture it may have some heft but not the same type of credibility one achieves by graduating from a more traditional school.

Common sense would deem this to be the case.  Nevertheless, I am eager for feedback.  Anyone with insight to this, I would welcome your thoughts.

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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany Staffing Uncategorized

Corra Group Provides Federal Contractors with Homeland Security Compliance Background Checks

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/10/prweb4722974.htm

(Los Angeles) Corra Group is assisting federal contractors with conducting background checks in compliance with the federal government’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and defense industry standards.   Some businesses have had longstanding contracts with either the federal government or public corporations, while others have been awarded recent contracts with private industry and must conduct background checks for any employee engaged in the project.

“Billions of dollars in stimulus funds are being awarded for contracts with government agencies,” said Gordon Basichis, Co-Founder of Corra Group.  The DHS alone will be receiving some $3 Billion to increase border and airport security, as well as IT Security and the construction of its new headquarters.

“Contractors approach us, asking if we can provide the requisite background searches.  Some find the federal contracting compliance process confusing.  The list of requirements at first appears problematic to the neophytes until they realize conducting the different background checks is simpler than it looks.  They feel better when we clarify regarding the background searches.

“These clients are varied in size and the number of employees. This includes IT contractors and defense related businesses and companies requiring Tier Two compliance reporting, in relation to the hazardous materials stored at their facility.”

To help these contractors meet the demands of The Department of Homeland Security, Corra Group has created a special package that addresses the background screening directives mandated by the Patriot Act and DHS, federal and state governmental agencies, as well private sector corporations.

“Our Federal Contractor package provides clients with every background check they need to be compliant with the Patriot Act and any other government mandates,” said Nick Gustavson, Co-Founder of Corra Group.  “The package includes the Global Terror Watch List, federal, county, and state criminal reports, employment and education verification, the Nationwide Criminal Database Search, the Sex Offender Registry, and the Social Security Trace.

“The background searches within this package can return to our clients from between one and four days,” Gustavson added.  “Our clients can always add on optional background searches, like MVRs or motor vehicle driving records, and credit reports.

“Some IT groups may need to request an international background screening. Our state-of-the-art ordering system enables a quick and easy interface.”

Corra Group services IT Security and the defense related industry throughout the United States and around the world.  The company also provides Motor Vehicle Driving Records and background checking services to trucking companies seeking to meet Department of Transportation compliance standards.

About us: Corra operates as Corra Group and specializes in pre-employment background checks, business research, and corporate investigation. Corra Group services companies throughout the United States and around the world. It is one of the few companies that will answer the phone. View us at www.corragroup.com