Recent Challenges to UBER's Background Policies Highlight Need for Thorough Pre-Employment Background Screening; States CriminalBackgroundRecords.com
Recently, in Los Angeles, four Uber drivers were found to have serious criminal history's; serious enough that they may have been disallowed from legally operating a taxi cab in the city. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com states: "The revelation of a criminal history with these four drivers greatly highlights the urgent need of complete and thorough background checks, not only with Uber drivers but employees of all types."
In Los Angeles, California four Uber drivers were cited by LA International Airport Police and over the course of this investigation were discovered to have serious criminal histories, so serious the drivers may have been barred from working for traditional taxi cab companies.
From the Los Angeles Times (Aug. 04, 15):
The drivers have been convicted of child exploitation, identity theft, manslaughter and driving under the influence, according to court records. Each offense would make them ineligible for a city of Los Angeles taxi permit. (1)
More importantly these revelations highlight the need for thorough and complete criminal background checks.
Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com states: "It is critical that companies and organizations work with well-qualified third-party background screening companies, companies that understand and work within the confines of what a legal background check can and should be."
Uber makes the statement that "...drivers cannot work for Uber if they have been convicted of any felony, or any violent or sexual crimes, in the last seven years." (2)
Unfortunately Uber's challenges do not end in Los Angeles.
In Dallas, Texas an Uber driver allegedly raped a passenger after dropping her off at her home. Uber and the City of Dallas continue to debate whether or not the driver had legal standing as an Uber driver. The situation does highlight differences within municipal jurisdictions over the use of background checks. (3)
Almeida states: "Each municipality can have slightly different laws and regulations governing the use of pre-employment background screening. Certainly companies should hire third-party background screening companies for pre-employment screening services in order to remain complaint with law.”
A complete and thorough background check is one of the most important tools a company or organization can utilize in pre-employment hiring. Generally drawn from public records databases and county courthouse data repositories, background checks can greatly assist in providing critical data for hiring managers, whose decisions can further affect existing employees and the company as a whole.
From Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (Aug. 19, 12):
Approximately two-thirds (69%) of organizations reported that they conduct criminal background checks on all of their job candidates. Roughly one-half of organizations conduct criminal background checks to reduce legal liability for negligent hiring (52%) and to ensure a safe work environment for employees (49%). (4)
Almeida states: "In the end a thorough and complete background check can provide the information required to make important hiring decisions. Whether it is a ride-sharing company or any other company, utilizing a well-informed third-party background screening company is a best business practice."
CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is a third-party employment screening company well versed and trained in all local, state, and federal laws pertaining to the use of public records for the purposes of pre-employment screening.
Notes:
(1) latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uber-criminal-records-20150804-story.html
(2) latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uber-criminal-records-20150804-story.html
(3) dallasnews.com/news/metro/20150801-dallas-uber-disagree-on-whether-driver-accused-of-rape-was-licensed-to-drive.ece
(4) shrm.org/research/surveyfindings/articles/pages/criminalbackgroundcheck.aspx
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