A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article addresses a concern regarding fingerprint checks that we, at Barada Associates, have had for a long time. Legislators in states around the country are proposing that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint checks be required as a part of background screening for employment. The problem is that these results include arrest records, which are illegal for employers to consider in the hiring process. Additionally, the results are often incomplete or wrong and the current system prohibits job candidates to challenge or change the results.
We continue to take an active role in reminding Indiana legislators about the flaws in fingerprinting for employment screening purposes. FBI reports don’t protect the job applicant like the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and other laws do. So, while it may appear that an FBI fingerprint report on a potential employee is a good idea, it might actually provide employers with an inaccurate and/or incomplete picture of the candidate.
To read the entire SHRM article, click here.