When it Comes to Employment Investigations, Bigger Isn’t Always Better!

The bigger you are, the harder you fall. That’s what employment background screening company HireRight Solutions, Inc. found out when they agreed to settle a suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for a cool $2.6 million.

In the complaint, the FTC charged that HireRight violated the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) by…  …failing to use reasonable procedures to assure the maximum possible accuracy of information it provided, failing to give consumers copies of their reports, and failing to reinvestigate consumer disputes, as required by law. 

This is the second-largest civil penalty the FTC has obtained under the FCRA. The settlement bars the company from continuing its “alleged illegal practices.”

According to the FTC website, the settlement prohibits HireRight Solutions from failing to:

• Maintain reasonable procedures to ensure that its consumer report information is as accurate as possible;
• Provide consumers with information in their files in a timely manner;
• Requiring consumers to obtain a copy of their report before the company will conduct a dispute reinvestigation;
• Provide consumers with the results of a dispute reinvestigation; and
• Comply with the requirements for consumer reporting agencies that use public record information.

Consumer Reporting Agencies and the FCRA

Under the Act, consumers may have access their personal information and dispute accuracies. Therefore, at the consumer’s request, the reporting agency must disclose information they obtain to the consumer involved.

If the consumer disputes the information contained in their report, the consumer-reporting agency has 30 days to conduct an investigation to:

• Determine the accuracy of the information;
• Record the status of the information; or
• Delete it from the file.

Once an investigation is complete, the agency has five days to notify the consumer in writing regarding the results.

Protect Your Company, Employees, and Job Applicants

The FTC offers consumers a variety of resources including the publication“Employment Background Checks and Credit Reports.” However, employers will find much of the information helpful as well.

Whether your organization is small or mid-size, you need to have confidence that the background investigation company you choose can provide information that is thorough, accurate, and compliant.

TruDiligence has over 20 years in the business. We’re not too big to forget what it means to offer top-notch customer service. Contact us, and we’ll show you that good things do come in smaller packages.