What is your turnaround time?

Turnaround time varies depending on the services ordered, however our average turnaround time is one to three business days. When your applicant has criminal convictions, turnaround time can be delayed if the files are stored in archives or off-site at the court. We will always keep you informed if there should be a delay.

Do you use database searches?

When conducting criminal research, we typically do the research on-site at the courthouse. Federal law requires that we use the most up-to-date sources available. Often times, on-line sources or databases are several months, or even years, out-of-date. Additionally, most databases or on-line services do not contain enough identifying information to provide a clear match between your applicant and the subject of the court record. In some courts we conduct the research ourselves, in other courts we are required by court policy to have court clerks do the research and provide us with their results.

Do I have to have my applicant sign a release if I am not ordering a credit report?

Yes. Pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, all pre-employment backgrounds are considered Consumer Reports, whether or not they contain credit information.

Can I use my own release instead of the one provided by Frasco® Profiles?

The release provided by Frasco® Profiles was prepared by labor attorneys who specialize in the Fair Credit Reporting Act, as well as all ADA and other discrimination issues. It was designed to protect your company, as well as ours, and to meet all federal and state guidelines. Additionally, it includes all of the language necessary for us to obtain any possible information you may request. If you prefer to use your release, it must be compliant with all federal and state laws and be pre-approved by a representative of Frasco® Profiles. Please note that, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you must notify your applicants in writing of your intent to procure a consumer report and obtain a signed release from them prior to ordering a background. These items must be stand-alone documents and not part of your application.

Do I have to tell my applicant that I am not hiring her because of her background?

Yes. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are required to inform your applicant that you are not hiring her because of information contained in her consumer report. You must inform her of this no matter how small a part her consumer report played in your decision. You must also give her a copy of the report and give her time to contest any inaccurate information in the report with the consumer reporting agency that provided you with the report. For more complete information on denying employment based on a consumer report, please see our section on Adverse Action - Sample.

My applicant had a warrant for arrest on his background. Do I have to report him to the police?

You are not required to contact your local law enforcement agency and disclose your applicant's whereabouts. We do suggest, however, telling your applicant about the warrant. Many times warrants are issued for minor issues, such as failing to appear for court on a vehicle code violation or failing to pay a fine on time. Your applicant may not know the warrant exists. This gives your applicant the opportunity to clear up the warrant and possibly be eligible for employment with your company.

We are just starting a background program. Can I run backgrounds on our current employees as well as all new hires?

You can obtain a consumer report on all current employees; however, you may only do so with their written consent. You will probably find many current employees who object to having their background run, as it was not an original condition for employment. Before considering running backgrounds on current employees, we highly recommend discussing this with your corporate counsel or a qualified labor attorney to address any potential legal problems you may encounter.

Do you offer special packages or discount rates?

We are happy to customize any background package to suit your company's needs. Please contact Customer Service at (800) 820-9029. We also offer volume discounts for those ordering more than one hundred backgrounds per month.

Can you get more than dates, title and salary from prior employers?

We have found that in many instances, our trained Verification Specialists can get much more than just the basics. Unless you prefer just dates, title, and salary verification, our Specialists ask over twenty questions concerning eligibility for rehire, job performance, attendance, disciplinary actions, positive drug/alcohol test results, violent or threatening behavior, interaction with peers and supervisors, and overall contribution to the company.

We have identified employees terminated for theft, embezzlement, drug abuse, drug sales, violent behavior, time card fraud, unauthorized use of company cars and property, industrial espionage, Workers' Compensation fraud, and many other issues. Of course, some of the larger corporations have strict verification policies, but we have a very good success rate with obtaining meaningful information to assist you in your decision making process.

Do you conduct backgrounds on applicants from out of the country?

We conduct employment, education, and reference verifications throughout the world. In some countries, criminal record information is not considered public information and is very difficult and expensive to obtain. We can, however, obtain this information in Canada, England and over 180 additional countries. Please call Customer Service at (800) 820-9029 for pricing and turnaround time information on all out of the country services.

I have heard that some companies offer statewide criminal searches and some offer county searches. Can you explain the difference?

Felony and misdemeanor violations fall under the jurisdiction of the county, parish, or borough they take place in. Each of these local courts is responsible for their own judicial process and record keeping. Statewide criminal searches are conducted through statewide repositories. These state repositories rely on the local courts to report their information to the repository for storage. We have found through testing that we are not comfortable with the reliability of some state records repositories. For more information on the states that offer statewide searches, including rates and turnaround times, please contact customer service at (800) 820-9029.