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The Case for Criminal Monitoring: Webinar Recap

Tammy Cohen, PHR, SHRM-CP

July 29 2022

Workplace trends and laws are constantly evolving. That’s why your background check company should strive to adapt, offering innovative services to accommodate your growth and goals. At InfoMart, we believe that criminal monitoring is the key to building a modernized background screening strategy. Not only does this service offer an additional layer of safety and security but a solution to many of the challenges of implementing a fair chance hiring program, but it also supports workplace trends like remote work, mental health, and corporate transparency. Before we get into the many benefits of workforce monitoring, let’s start with the basics.

How Criminal Monitoring Works

Continuous criminal monitoring searches nationwide data 24/7 to deliver timely alerts when a current employee is arrested. From a databank containing over 4,500 sources, InfoMart’s criminal monitoring tools pull data as frequently as every 15 to 60 minutes. When an employee’s arrest is logged in to one of our 4,500 source databases, it’s delivered to InfoMart almost instantaneously. Depending on your company’s needs, you can customize how you want to be alerted about these arrests by choosing from three different levels of alerts. Regardless of which alert level best fits your needs, you will always receive a completed consumer report when an employee gets arrested. This allows companies to monitor criminal activity post-hire, promoting a safer workplace and fair chance hiring.

Workplace Trends Continuous Criminal Monitoring Supports

Managing a remote workforce

It’s no secret that the pandemic drastically changed our approach to remote work. Since COVID-19, 44% of employees in the US now work five or more days from home, whereas only 17% of Americans worked full-time from home before the pandemic. With most employees reporting a preference for working from home, this trend does not seem to be on the way out anytime soon. That’s why establishing a reliable framework for managing remote employees is more critical than ever.

While remote work has benefitted most workers by allowing more flexibility and a better work-life balance, it also comes with some challenges for employers. One is the simple lack of face-to-face time between supervisors and employees. In addition to making it harder for employees to get guidance from leaders, remote work often prevents supervisors from knowing when an employee is on or off the clock. Some supervisors compensate by cracking down and strictly monitoring their employees’ computer usage. Others, who prefer a less authoritative approach, however, require different solutions.

That’s where criminal monitoring comes in. Without using this service, an employee who gets arrested could be gone anywhere from hours to days without leadership knowing. However, with workforce monitoring as a resource, employers are notified almost immediately of a worker’s arrest, giving your team the time and knowledge needed to accommodate an absence. Not only will you be more prepared, but you’ll also be aware of any serious problems occurring in an employee’s life. Now, you have the opportunity to offer them counseling or any other help they may need to get back on track.

 

Supporting employee mental health

While it may seem like the obvious choice to punish or terminate an employee for breaking the law, thinking outside the box and acting with sympathy could go a long way.

It’s up to employers to evaluate each case individually and work with their legal counsel to make the best decision. However, consider giving your employees a chance for redemption. If you receive an alert using a criminal monitoring service that an employee was arrested for a charge related to alcohol abuse, for example, give them options for counseling when they return to work. You might treat a DUI or a domestic disturbance charge the same way. Work with them. Human beings compose our workplaces. If you’re prepared for your employees to make mistakes and have frameworks in place to help them, your company will see the benefits. Using continuous criminal monitoring as a bridge to treatment could help break barriers and keep good people on your team who are just going through a
tough time.

 

Focusing on corporate transparency

Corporate transparency matters. With 87% of workers hoping that their future job prioritizes transparency, companies should do everything they can to excel in this area. Being transparent means being intentional with what you share with your employees, stakeholders, and clients. When communicating with employees specifically, you should share the truth in ways that best benefit your team and the entire company. You don’t have to get down to every nitty-gritty detail. You also shouldn’t share information in a manner that will distress employees or cause a panic. Corporate transparency is all about constructively communication with your employees to build trust.

How can something like workforce monitoring promote corporate transparency? One way is by remaining FCRA compliant with regular disclosure and authorization forms while monitoring for employee arrests. When a company uses a continuous service like criminal monitoring, regular disclosure reminds employees that they are enrolled in the program. Moreover, implementing this service gives leaders an opportunity to communicate the benefits of the program. They can tell their employees why this service is so important and how they will use it to benefit everyone involved. When employees hear that their company is using monitoring as another tool to help rather than punish, they’re likely to feel more comfortable
and respected.

 

Ensuring workplace safety & security

Employers have lost 72% of negligent hiring cases with an average settlement of over $1.6 million, which means your company should take every step to prevent costly incidents before they happen. Running background checks on new hires gives you a glimpse into their past, but continuously monitoring current employees tells you about current patterns of violence or misbehavior that could escalate to a workplace incident in the near future. This way, you instantly have the information you need to take preventative measures that keep your company safe as possible.

Additionally, when you protect workers against negative events frequently, it can reduce employee stress and create a positive workplace. With employee monitoring, not only are you saving your company from costly negligence cases, but your employees will feel happier and more productive knowing they are in a safe work environment. Be transparent about your company’s commitment to workplace safety and educate employees and candidates on how workforce monitoring helps you to achieve this. You’ll likely see an increase in employee retention and attract more talent.

 

Implementing fair chance hiring

Fair chance hiring and ban-the-box laws are rapidly changing. Many states
already have laws that prevent public firms, private companies, or both from performing background checks before making a conditional offer. The chances are that your state will mandate similar laws soon if it hasn’t already. And if it doesn’t? Well, it’s still a good idea to implement fair chance hiring practices in your company regardless.

Since the Great Resignation is still in full force, having as many candidate options as possible is a great idea – and that means expanding your hiring pool to include ex-offenders. If a candidate’s background check gets flagged after you’ve extended a conditional offer, criminal monitoring will be the extra cushioning you need. If their past crimes are unrelated to their position (for example, they have a DUI, but they don’t drive for your company), you can hire them despite prior transgressions because you will be immediately notified if they are arrested again. It will ensure that an employee’s past mistakes do not translate into their time at your company. Your business’s safety and security are vital. Having an option like workforce monitoring to mitigate risk post-hire will give a company hiring under fair chance protocols peace of mind in knowing they are up-to-date on their employees’ mental health and behaviors.

 

This article was a snapshot of our most recent webinar, The Case for Employee Monitoring. In the webinar, our hosts explore the previous points in-depth and answer questions from viewers. The webinar is a great place to start if you’re interested in learning more about workforce monitoring. In addition to criminal monitoring, we offer other services, like driver monitoring and social media checks, to add additional security regarding employee behaviors. Reach out to one of our experienced representatives if you want to learn more about how we will tailor our employee monitoring services to your company’s needs.

About Tammy Cohen

Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record. To learn more about Tammy, visit www.tammycohen.com.

About InfoMart

InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.

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