I have  written much about workplace violence.   Employers in the United States and around the world are experiencing growing concerns about workplace violence. I appeared on Professor Donna El-Armale’s show on the Cal State University Television Network.

I recently wrote…Added Security  After Workplace Shooting.  The list goes on.

Now here are tips from Safety.BlR.Com entitled, 4 Types of Workplace Violence.

Here is an excerpt from the article…

“According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workplace violence comes in one of four forms. Some workplaces may be at higher risk of different types of violence than others, making it essential for companies to determine where their exposures lie so they can better mitigate their risks. The first type of violence is criminal intent, where the violence occurs as part of another crime such as robbery, trespassing, or acts of terrorism. Eighty-five percent of all workplace homicides fall into this category. Companies at higher risk of this type of violence are those that handle cash or drugs or who may be targeted by terrorists. The second type of violence is perpetrated by someone with a connection to the business, such as a student, patient, client, or inmate. The healthcare industry has a particularly high risk of this type of violence, as do police officers, prison staff, flight attendants, and teachers. While this category accounts for only 3 percent of workplace homicides, the majority of non-fatal violence is considered Type II. The third type of violence is worker-on-worker, which accounts for 7 percent of homicides in the workplace. All workplaces carry a risk of this type of violence, but that risk can be reduced by conducting criminal background checks. The final type of violence is carried out by someone with a personal relationship to a worker, and it accounts for approximately 5 percent of workplace homicides. This type of violence also occurs in all workplaces, but may be harder to prevent in those that are accessible to the public and/or only have one location.”

Workplace violence is a growing concern, not only in the United States but abroad as well.  Various background checks can help screen out the more volatile candidates prone to commit to workplace violence, but because violence can be brought on through external factors as well as internal actions, employment screening background checks can only go so far towards prevention.

I have written about workplace violence on numerous occasions.  One such article is entitlted, What’s the Most Violent Job in Seattle

Essentially, companies need to have  effective processing in place so that employees can report  real and potential threats of workplace violence and that clear channels of communications are established.  Getting out in front of workplace violence, where possible, is one of the more effective means of dealing with it.

Here is an interesting excerpt in an article from Associated Press…”Security has been increased at Southern California Edison following a shooting at one of the company’s offices on Friday. That shooting, which took place in the Los Angeles suburb of Irwindale, took the lives of four people and the gunman, who killed himself. A spokesman for Southern California Edison refused to say what new security measures were being put in place in the wake of those shootings or whether the security measures were being implemented throughout the company. Meanwhile, the investigation into the shootings is ongoing. All of the victims of the shooting were supervisors at Southern California Edison, thought it is not clear if any of them directly supervised the shooter.”

Of course this may be perceived as yet one more situation where the gates are closed after the horses are out of the barn.  But then, in fairness, there are numerous incidents of workplace violence that most likely could not have been prevented.  Better to take measures to prevent the next incident than to maintain the status quo.

Here are more issues to consider regarding how employers can best conduct background checks while observing practices that tend not to discriminate against any job applicants with criminal records.   As the EEOC is increasingly requiring that employers observe certain protocol when reviewing criminal records, it is wise to have set policies and to determine whether the criminal convictions  are truly relevant to the position.

It is also necessary to review the age of the conviction, it’s severity, and whether the job applicant has appeared to have cleaned up his act since his criminal activities.  Simply put, if the employment candidate has convictions in his distant past and background checks reveal he has had not criminal record ever since, then, depending on the records and their relevance, it may be discriminatory policy to deny eligibility for employment, based on those prior criminal records.

How severe were the crimes?  Were they violent crimes?   Do the crimes show relevance to the position being applied for?

Does the candidate pose a potential danger to other employees?

Has the candidate been a productive and contributing member to society?

Is the employer’s current policy a blanket policy and could it be considered discriminatory by the EEOC or other officiating bodies?

Just some thoughts to consider when hiring.

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.

For those ordering county criminal records as background checks for their employment screening programs, please be advised of the following notices….

Portage, WI is in the process of changing their predominately used index to a new operating system over the next 60 to 90 days. As a result, orders will be processed through the court clerks until the conversion is complete. We appreciate your patience as delays will be encountered during this transition.

For North Dakota County Criminal Searches, there will no longer be a pass through court fee.

For those who conduct credit reports as background checks for employment screening purposes, please be reminded that new laws go into effect in California, January 1st, 2012.  These laws will restrict the usage of employment credit reports to certain types of employment candidates who fulfill the appropriate job description.

With the end of the year approaching, we wanted to remind you of two new California laws that will effect you or your clients.  Both of these laws go into effect January 1, 2012 and require revisions to an employer’s Disclosure/Authorization forms.

First, California SB 909 which takes effect on January 1, 2012, and amends CA Civ. Code Section 1786.16, requires that employers include the investigative consumer reporting agency’s (background check company’s) internet website in the Disclosure form.  The purpose is so that an applicant can get information about the background check company’s privacy practices, including whether a consumer’s personal information will be sent outside the United States.

Second, California AB 22 amends CA Civ. Code Section 1785 regarding the use of credit in employment decisions.  The amendment generally prohibits employers from using an applicant’s or employee’s credit history in making employment decisions. Prior to this legislation, employers could request a credit report for employment purposes if they provided prior written notice of the request to the person for whom the report was sought. Assembly Bill 22 significantly changes this landscape by prohibiting employers from using credit reports for employment purposes unless the report is used for one of the limited purposes enumerated by the statute and requires employers to specifically delineate the reason for obtaining the credit report under the statute.

Corra Group, the background checking service, specializing in employment screening, will be closed from One P.M. Pacific Time, Wednesday, November 23rd, through Thursday and Friday of  the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Corra Group will reopen for business at its regular hours 8:30 A.M. Pacific, on Monday, November 28th.

Please remember that the County Courthouses will also be closed on Thursday and Friday.

We would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Workplace violence is has a tremendous impact.  Not only are people killed or injured or forced to suffer psychological abuse,  simply put it is bad press for the employer.  There are liability factors and various lawsuits that run into the hundred of millions of dollars, annually.

The Center for Disease Control has declared workplace violence a national epidemic.   I commented on Workplace Violence recently for Professor Donna El-Armale’s Television show at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills.  Here is the link to that show.  For thos interested, I am about an hour and eight minutes into the segment.

Bill Whitmore, Chairman of Allied Barton, just published anew book, entitled,”Potential Workplace Violence Prevention and Your Organizational Success.”  A lengthy title, for sure.  But the  book looks to be most informative, judging by the release that I am posting here.

Here is but one of several excerpts form the articl, which is posted on  SecurityInfoWatch.com  —

“According to a 2008 report conducted by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than two million American workers experience some instance of workplace violence each year. Every day there are an average of two people killed and 87 injured as a result of a workplace violence incident.

These are staggering statistics, which reflect the ever-growing concern of C-Level executives who have ranked workplace violence among their top two concerns in business surveys conducted by various research and government think tanks over the last decade.”

The article reflects growing cost and corporate responsibility with respect to workplace violence.  It cites the grievous disconnect between management and the workforce, concerning workplace violence.

As I noted in my Cal State Dominguez Hills interview, it is essential that the employer create an established policy for dealing with workplace violence.  It is essential that the employer establish channels of communication and make sure all employees know that those channels are open.  It is important that employees know what to do about reporting workplace violence.  and that manger understand how to deal with the issue and how to report through the chain of command.

I encourage everyone to read the article.  It’s important to know as much as possible about addressing and preventing workplace violence.  Almost for certain, workplace violence will not be  diminishing anytime soon.

I thought I would repost this article.  The article is entitled What to Order on Employment Background Checks.   It is a good checklist of how to ascertain what you, the employer, may need for background checks for your employment candidates.

Always remember, what you order for employment screening background checks you order for everyone.  But you can vary the background checks for different levels of hire.  Simply put, for entry level employment candidates you can run one series of background checks.  For mid-management and senior executives you can develop a different background package for employment screening.

Here is the link to the article.

Our latest press release….

Corra Group is offering discounted employment screening packages to businesses interested in generating employment in the United States. The background screening company has for a limited time reduced pricing for its background searches in order to encourage companies to expand their production of goods and services within American borders.

For the full article go to this link on PRWEB.