Month: January 2012

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Background Checks Business Credit Reports Economy Human Resources Miscellany preemployment screening Recruiting Retaining Employees Staffing Uncategorized

Employers Intend to Hire More Temporary Workers in 2012

According to a survey published on the Staffing Industry Analysts website, employers will be hiring more contingent or temporary employees.  The report notes that the estimate is a 26% increase in contingent workers over last year.   Not bad, although contingent workers tend to get paid less than staff employees.   Also, seldom are contingent workers entitled to the same benefits as staff workers.   So essentially, it’s a new way in a down economy to cut labor costs, especially for seasonal work or the kind of job that doesn’t require ongoing presence.

Most of the temporary hires will come through the restaurant, hospitality, or retail sectors.  That should be of no surprise to anyone.

For those employers hiring contingent or temporary workers, you may want to conduct background checks.   The basic employment screening package for temporary hires usually consists of the Social Security Trace, the Nationwide Criminal Database Search, and possibly the predominant county where the applicant is residing.  If the applicant is driving, then Motor Vehicle Driving Records (MVRS) may be  in order.

The survey was culled from 236 contingent buyers and form 187 of the larger companies that collectively hire more than a million employees.

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Background Checks Court Updates Criminal Records preemployment screening Staffing Uncategorized

Corra Group to Be Close of Martin Luther King Day

Corra Group will be closed Monday, January 16th in honor of Martin Luther King Day.   For those conducting background checks, be aware that county courthouses will be closed throughout the country, and there will be a slight delay with country criminal records and county civil records.

We would like to wish everyone a great weekend and let’s take a moment to remember Martin Luther King and the ways he helped advance our country.

Categories
Background Checks Drug Screening Human Resources Miscellany Recruiting Uncategorized

Updating Policies on Medical Marijuan

This was an article I wrote not that long ago concerning Medical Marijuana, the changing state laws, and how it may have an impact on employment policies.  Given the number of states that are implmenting medical marijuana laws, I thought it was worth revisiting.

The article is entitled…Advice About Updating You Employment Drug Test Policy.

 

Here is the heading…

Drug Testing is always a hot button issue.  It is a background check where, like with employment credit reports, people have strong opinions.  Employer zero tolerance drug policies have in recent years duked it out both in the courts and the workplace with the medical marijuana advocates.   Real issues regarding employees with legitimate reasons for using medical marijuana are contesting the harder edge policies on the part of most employers.

 

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

More On Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying can manifest in a variety of ways.   A recent article on CNBC describes how bullies will manipulate situations in order to make their employees  look inferior or inept.   The article cites how many employers do not even become aware of bullying conditions in the workplace until departing employees list their complaints at the exit interview.

When thirty-five percent of the American workforce, some 54 million, in all, admit to experiences where they are bullied in the workplace, then the conditions are more pressing than most will admit.  In a larger company, the bullies interact with fewer people and can go unnoticed for longer periods of time.  In a smaller company, of course, a bully can touch upon everyone.   It doesn’t take all that long for the staff to realize they have a jerk in their midst.

Close of t seventy percent of the bullying is gender harassment.  Surprisingly, or not, female bullies target female employees. Most bullying practices are not so much physical aggression as psychological.  Verbal abuse plays a large part of it.

The article reports a 2010 survey from Zogby International….”According to the Zogby survey, 45 percent of those who have been bullied at work say they suffer stress-related health problems, including panic attacks, clinical depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress. And they use paid time off frequently for “mental health breaks,” creating a heightened burden for smaller companies that need all hands on deck.”