Minnesota to expand caregiver screening to prevent negligent retention

Beginning in October 2014, Minnesota’s Department of Human Services is expected to implement new policies for pre-employment background screening when it comes to caregivers for the elderly, disabled and children. New state legislation has passed requiring all current and future employees in these industries to undergo fingerprint background checks, in an attempt to avoid the…

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Calif. county may instate employee criminal history checks on ice cream truck vendors

Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors has proposed new regulations requiring ice cream truck operators, and other street vendors whose primary clientele consists of unsupervised children, to undergo fingerprinting and background checks before being licensed to run their businesses in Los Angeles County. Conducting these employee criminal history checks prior to licensing could potentially keep…

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Delaware, Baltimore pass ban-the-box legislation

Add the state of Delaware and the city of Baltimore, Md., to the list of cities and states that have passed “ban the box” legislation. Delaware is now the 12th state to officially pass statewide ban-the-box laws. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed an order on May 8 prohibiting public-sector employers from asking about or conducting criminal…

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Avoid negligent hiring when employing a babysitter

When Mind Your Business was founded, it was created as a way for owner Karen Caruso to screen potential candidates to take care of her children. Conducting a background check is recommended when hiring full-time care for your children, such as a nanny. But what if you just need a sitter for a few hours?…

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Set your company up for success with a strong HR department

The Human Resources department at any company wears a lot of hats — its representatives are responsible for creating company policy regarding hiring, helping the company avoid expensive discrimination lawsuits, and saving the company money by making sure employees are hired for jobs they are qualified for and are able to retain for the long…

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April 2014: drop in unemployment rate, more jobs available

Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate dropped in April to 6.3 percent, down .4 percent from March. Notably, the number of unemployed people — for both those that are re-entering the workforce, and those who are entering the work force for the first time — is down from previous months. In April, 288,000 new…

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Employee criminal history no longer a factor in Bed Bath and Beyond hiring

After a human resources manager from Bed Bath and Beyond represented the company at a job fair and distributed materials that stated that the company does not employ those with felony convictions, the New York state attorney general’s office launched an investigation to ensure that the retailer complies with anti-discrimination laws regarding employee criminal history.…

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