RESOURCES

REGULATORY INFORMATION

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Summary of Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

FTC and EEOC Brochure – Background Checks: What Job Applicants and Employees Should Know

EEOC Guidance on Use of Criminal Records

EEOC Guidance on Pre-employment Inquires Under the ADA

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

Office of Inspector General (OIG)

General Services Administration (GSA)

DOT Rules & Regulations for Drug Testing CFR 49 Part 40 

Americans With Disabilities ACT (ADA)

U.S. Patriot Act

LABORATORY & CLINIC INFORMATION

Find a LabCorp Patient Service Center (PSC)

Find a Quest Diagnostics Patient Service Center (PSC)

Find a Concentra clinic

DRUG SCREENING INFORMATION

Drug Testing Partner

Types of Drug Tests

Drugs of Abuse Reference Guide

Why can't I screen candidates or employee's myself? 

Certainly you can try however we believe it is very important to partner with a company with the knowledge and expertise in the screening industry. There are too many laws and idiosyncrasies throughout the country on how information is accessed and used in employment decisions. Choose a screening firm that is a true partner and an extension to your HR team.

How do I choose what to screen my applicants? 

Background screening services or packages are usually determined by the position you are needing to fill. Experienced HR business partners like ABI can assist an organization developing the appropriate packages and mitigating risk with hiring decisions.

Does your platform integrate with applicant tracking and talent management systems? 

Yes, our XML allows for secure, certified integrations and most importantly a seamless transfer of the candidate’s data eliminating dual data entry and errors.

Are services fulfilled by domestic employees or do you have a call center overseas? All domestic background checks are completed in the United States by our highly trained operations team. ABI believes in protecting your applicant's and employee data by keeping it safe, secure and close to home.

What is an employer’s liability associated with not screening applicants?

Negligent hiring is a legal theory under which employers can be held liable for the unlawful or improper actions of their applicants if it can be shown that they failed to make “reasonable” inquiries into the applicant’s background and suitability for the position in which they are being hired.

Most negligent hiring lawsuits maintain that the employer failed to conduct a background investigation such as a criminal history, employment verification, motor vehicle record check, employment credit report and other background information, that would have disclosed the applicant’s past misconduct, and that, therefore, the employer was negligent for putting a person with criminal or other inappropriate tendencies, in a position where they could pose a threat to co-workers, customers or members of the general public.

Under the theory of negligent hiring, if the employer knew, or should have known, of the risk presented by the applicant, the employer can be held liable. Employers found negligent in the hiring process have been subject to substantial financial penalties including both actual and punitive damages, which are now reaching hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars.

At ABI, we are diligent about staying up-to-date on background check compliance, as regulations can change from state to state and at the federal level often.

Why should I use a social security and address trace?

A social security and address trace is the first step in identifying where to begin screening your candidates. It is an extremely cost-effective tool that is crucial to uncovering possible records in any of the 3000 plus jurisdictions nationwide.

If a social security and address trace is not conducted, you have to rely on the applicant’s supplied information. A dishonest applicant with something to hide will withhold providing information that may lead to a “hit” or criminal record on the individual’s consumer report. Performing a social security trace gives ABI the ability to lay out a road-map for conducting a thorough criminal record search.

What is the typical turnaround time for a background check?

Industry standard in screening results are returned in 72 business hours or less. Some searches may be returned sooner (within minutes or hours) while others may take a bit longer due to circumstances outside of our control, such as court delays or an unresponsive previous employer.

Why are county criminal searches more accurate than statewide criminal searches?

State criminal “repositories” or “databases” are often not integrated with county-level data. Although a statewide criminal search can be a supplement to a county criminal record search, county-level information is the most up-to-date and accurate. State “databases” are not periodically updated enough from all county sources making them less reliable. County-level searches provide a more in-depth and accurate picture, identifying records near places of residence, employment and academic attendance.

What privacy and security safeguards do you use?

We understand the growing concern for data privacy and security. We employ strict security information handling and technology practices. All information maintained and stored at ABI is contained in highly secure 9encrypted) databases and is accessed only by authorized and well-trained staff.

All data is secured by 128-bit encryption digital solutions and EFS encryption, which provides the strongest online security for internet communications available.

We mask all date of birth and Social Security numbers in shared reports.

Comprehensive background checks are conducted on all employees as a condition of employment.

Our business and fulfillment facility is a controlled access environment and is only accessible to authorized personnel.

Does a nationwide criminal database background check exist?

The short answer is no. Not all criminal records are updated in a timely manner and sent to a central repository nor are all criminal cases available in electronic format therefore preventing a complete, comprehensive “National” background check. The use of a “Nationwide Criminal Database” is encouraged along with Federal, state, and county level searches ensuring the most comprehensive criminal background check is conducted.

We do, however, offer a National Criminal Database Search that draws from over 525 million records from thousands of jurisdictions, including counties, department of corrections (DOC), administrative office of courts (AOC), and offender registries from all 50 states, plus Washington DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico. This search serves as a great supplemental search intended to help identify jurisdictions on a broader scale in which a person may have a criminal record. The search is only available in conjunction with additional county and statewide searches. When a record is returned, we automatically confirm its accuracy with the originating source at the county or state courthouse.