How Employee Screening Can Help Your Company Avoid Negligent Hiring Lawsuits

28 December 2015
 Categories: , Blog

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Knowing the employees working for you are dependable and drug-free is important. However, knowing the employees working for you are also trustworthy and have never been involved in any criminal activity is just as important. Find out how taking advantage of the benefits offered by employee screening companies can help you avoid the negative side effects of negligent hires.

Unwanted Possibilities Of Hiring Someone Without A Background Check

In the event you decide to hire someone you feel is suitable for a position in your company, making certain you take the time to invest in employee screening for that person is extremely important to avoid unwanted consequences. For example, in 1991, a health care agency failed to do a background check on a person they hired as a home health aide. The man the agency hired ended up stealing from a grandmother and her wheelchair bound grandson and ultimately murdering them both to cover up the theft. However, if the agency had done a background check and employment screen, they would have seen past felony convictions that would have prevented them from hiring him in the first place. If you hire someone you know nothing about and you are unaware of any past criminal record, the risk is higher that person is liable to cause trouble in your workplace. For this reason, hiring an employee screening company to conduct professional level background checks is best before you hire anyone off the streets to work with you or your other employees.

Financial Pitfalls Lie In Negligent Hiring

If you hire someone and you do not conduct a background check, you may be in the middle of a lawsuit if that person hurts someone in your workplace. For example, if the person you hire has a history of criminal domestic violence and he or she violently injures one of your workers, that injured person and/or that injured person's family could hold you responsible because you hired someone with a record of criminal domestic violence without conducting a background check. In a court of law, you could be responsible for the medical expenses and other costs related to the injury like loss of wages or pain and suffering. Never hire anyone without taking a closer look at their background first.

The benefits of hiring an employment screening company for handling the background checks for your new hires are well worth your investment. By making the investment in pre-employment screening, you avoid profit losses, possible property damage, higher rates for liability insurance, damage to your reputation and more.