Month: January 2013

Categories
Background Checks Economy Human Resources Miscellany Recruiting Uncategorized

Corra Group Expands Background Checks for Entertainment and Media Industry

Our new press release…

Corra Group has expanded its services to the entertainment and media industry. With its headquarters based in the Hollywood area, the background screening company has received requests from local and regional film, television and advertising concerns for a variety of background checks.

“I worked in the entertainment industry,” said Gordon Basichis, Co-Founder of Corra group. “I have a thorough understanding of the background checking services the entertainment and media industry needs to examine who is working in its offices and appearing on its shows.”

“Today, there are multiple reality and television shows that use hundreds of people from anywhere USA,” said Basichis. “In advertising and media promotion, people are recruited for focus groups and as such they become de facto representatives of major corporations. It’s just common sense for networks and cable companies, and the production groups they license from to conduct background screening on the talent they are putting on the air. We’ve already seen a few incidents where the contestants have either committed felonies or there were warrants out for their arrest.”

 

For the complete release click on this link.

Categories
Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany Staffing Uncategorized

Baggage Handler Allegedly Steals Newly Printed Money

We all hear stories about baggage handlers stealing stuff out of our luggage.  Some of us have experienced such a lost.  We board the plane, after going through the rigorous and often exhausting security search only to arrive at our destination, pick up our luggage to discover our new electric shaver or designer clothing is missing from our bags.  Oh, where did it go? Let me guess.

Times are tough, and the economy is problematic.  But still, when you get on an airplane there should be reasonable expectation when you reach your destination, you shouldn’t be missing the stuff you brought with you.   I mean, supposedly the airline carriers, the TSA, and everyone else involved conduct background checks on their new employment hires.  Don’t they?

Well, I suppose it’s sorry consolation, but even the Department of the Treasury can get ripped off.   In this case, one of the baggage handlers allegedly helped himself to some free samples of newly printed currency.

According to the article ion the CBS Philly website….”A US Airways baggage handler from southwest Philadelphia is facing federal theft charges for allegedly taking two stacks of brand new $100 bills totaling $20,000 from a plane that was unloaded at Philadelphia International Airport nearly two weeks ago.”

The money was supposed to be delivered to the Federal Reserve.  It didn’t get there.  At least, not all of it.  When the truck reached the Federal Reserve, it was discovered that one of the money packages had been torn up and $20 thousand was missing from the package.   Well one way to look at it is there was  more than $3 million being delivered, so a mere twenty grand…hey….

Employee theft is up.  The moral of the story, while there is always a first time for everything, run background checks on your job applicants.   More often than not,  it will save you a lot of aggravation.

Categories
Background Checks Criminal Records Drug Screening preemployment screening Recruiting Staffing Uncategorized

President Obama’s Administration Encourages Drug Tests for Certain Employees

President Obama and his administration have encouraged employers to conduct drug tests as background checks for their employment screening programs.   The administration believes that employment drug tests will boost productivity in the work place and reduce healthcare costs.

As Corra Group provides drug testing background checks to its clients, we have experience in seeing how many potentially difficult employees can be filtered out from the hiring consideration.  We have also seen where random drug tests can address productivity and compliance issues while reducing the safety of other employees.   Let’s face it, people on drugs and using heavy machinery as part of their job is not a good idea.

According to the article in the Huffington Post…””While we believe that employers can use testing as one of a variety of tools to help guide employees suffering from substance abuse disorders into treatment –- which as we announced yesterday is not a moral failing but a treatable disease -– it is certainly not our policy that every employer in America ought to test and punish employees,” Rafael Lemaitre, spokesman for the administration’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in an email.

The U.S. Labor Department has not yet offered its guidance to states regarding drug tests.   However, the practice of drug testing employees, especially those engaged in positions involving heavy machinery or sensitive areas, seems like a good idea to us.