What's Information Can an Employer See in a Employment Background Check?

If you have recently been laid off then you are, like millions of other Americans, back in the job market looking for a job. If a prospective employer is thinking about hiring you there is a good chance that they will do a background check. In fact somewhere in the area of 80% of employers do employment background checks.

A lot of people don't know exactly what employers see when they do a background check. To start a perspective employer cannot access your credit report unless you give them your consent. Normally this is written consent and can be written into the language of an employment application as sometimes it can be a completely separate sheet of paper.

An employer can access your driving record because this is not confidential information. Not a lot of employers will waste time securing this information unless the job you will be performing calls for you to do some driving. So if you are applying for a job which calls for you to handle the stock room then chances are an employer will not see your DUI.

Your previous employment information can be verified as well. Most employers will only reveal the dates of employment and any other positions held. Releasing more information than this can subject an employer to lawsuits therefore it is in their best interest to be careful. Some employers will try to squeeze more information from the source such as would you rehire this person. Hypothetically they won't say but you never know.

Of course your military records can be revealed even without your approval or authorization, but this too is limited. The only information released will be your name, salary, and tasks duties or assignments.

Many employers will want to verify your educational background and it won't be any problem for them. They can do this but only with your consent. There is probably going to be a form for you to sign and some schools will charge a fee to release official transcripts. The employer will want the transcripts to come directly from the school and if you have a copy they may not accept them from you.

Another item of interest is your social security and a prospective employer will have no problem identifying your social security number.

Some items are public record and can easily be verified such as workman's compensation claims. What you will find is that potential employers use this information if you incurred an injury and it prevents you from doing the job in which you are applying for.

If you have filed for bankruptcy this information is public record and most of the times it will show up on your credit report. Also as a public record item this information is easily accessible by a potential employer. Hypothetically employers cannot discriminate if you have filed a petition for bankruptcy.

Also any arrest records you may have can only be accessed by a potential employer if only if you were actually convicted of a crime or you are pending a trial.

Resource: http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs16-bck.htm#2