FTC and EEOC Background Check Guide for Employers

FTC
Once you’ve satisfied all applicable recordkeeping requirements, you may dispose of any background reports you received. However, the law requires that you dispose of the reports – and any information gathered from them – securely. That can include burning, pulverizing, or shredding paper documents and disposing of electronic information so that it can’t be read or reconstructed. For more information, see Disposing of Consumer Report Information? Rule Tells How.

EEOC
To find out more about federal antidiscrimination laws, visit www.eeoc.gov, or call the EEOC toll-free, 800-669-4000 (voice); TTY: 800-669-6820. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. The EEOC investigates, conciliates, and mediates charges of employment discrimination, and also files lawsuits in the public interest. For specific information on:

Link to page: Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know
Link to PDF:  Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know PDF

Additional Resources

What is the “Ban the Box” Movement?

What is the “Ban the Box” Movement?

"Ban-the-box" laws requiring employers to remove criminal-history questions from employment applications have been enacted in many states, cities and counties. Primarily covering the public sector, many ban-the-box laws also apply to private-sector employers, seeking...

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Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1993

Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1993

Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1993 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit disclosure of personal information derived from an individual's motor vehicle records to anyone other than that individual. Makes exceptions for use: (1) by any Federal or State...

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Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act

Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a United States federal law (codified as 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.) that regulates the collection, dissemination, and use of consumer information, including consumer credit information. Information in a consumer report cannot be...

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