You might remember my last blog entry, about the death of non-profit which pointed the finger at it’s executive director who coincidentally went missing. The same online news source reported new developments in the story. It turns out it’s executive director, Louanne Aponte, had siphoned hundreds of thousands of dollars from the two charities she worked with.

This past Friday prosecutors charged Aponte with two felony counts of theft and two counts of misapplication of fiduciary property. Aponte is still missing and colleagues say she might be in Venezuela where her husband has relatives. It is still unknown how she was able to attain her position while having a record for stealing from her employers. According to the article she was still on parole when hired by the nonprofit Austin Families to work in it’s finance department.

For the complete article click here.

Background checks = cheap insurance policy

That’s the conclusion Mower County officials came to when deciding to start conducting criminal background checks on certain new employees.

“This is just common sense,” Mower County Attorney Kristen Nelsen said. “You need to know who you are hiring.”

For the complete article click here.

Several Missouri school districts consider criminal background checks for school board members

After a school board member is charged with statutory rape and possession of child pornography, four school districts are looking into requiring background checks for all school board members.

“We need to step up to the plate like our churches have and our non-for-profit groups have, and say ‘hey, if you’re going to work with kids you need to have a background check,’” says Joplin School Board President Randy Steele.

For the complete article click here.

Mike Rush, who was the executive director at that time Aponte was hired, could not remember weather a criminal background check had been run on her or not. He had no idea she had a criminal record and since no red flags were raised she was hired.  She performed administrative tasks such as dealing with invoices, billing and nonprofit records, he said.

With Aponte missing it is hard for board members and former employees to piece together years of financial documents. An investigation of Aponte did find a criminal history of financial related incidences. In 1982 she was accused of writing a fraudulent check to a clothing store and was charged with theft by check. She was never arrested for this offense at the time but 2 years later was  finally convicted of theft and was sentenced to four years in prison and served four months. Years later Aponte filed for bankruptcy, according to public records.

Although the finger pointing is aimed mostly at Aponte some of it should also fall on Family Connection’s 11-member board of directors. The investigation found some obvious red flags which were not followed up on.

• Aponte was the only person in the agency with access to the nonprofit’s finances. One staff member stated that Aponte kept all financial records on a portable computer drive which she took home every night.

• One former board member said he could never get the financial information he asked for. Aponte would routinely have excuses for not being able to provide a breakdown of expenditures by department.

• Department heads inside the agency never knew what their budget was because Aponte would not give them that information.

Not to mar all of Aponte’s good doings but its hard to ignore her role in the downfall of this valued organization. It’s important that all organizations have some transparency when dealing with finances, especially for nonprofits. I would be curious to know if a criminal background check was run on Aponte. A proper background check could have prevented the death of Family Connections.

For the complete story click here.

This new tagline came about in an effort to re-brand the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS).

“The new tagline was developed as part of a contest open to all members of NAPBS. The opportunity was designed to provide a chance for members to have a voice in how the organization is branded and presented to the public while conveying the purpose of NAPBS.”

To read the full press release click here.

On the other hand there are researchers that say there is no evidence correlating weak credit with bad employee behavior such as stealing or fraud. Instead it “unfairly tars the huge pool of people whose credit was damaged by layoffs, medical bills or other factors beyond their control” and  “disproportionately screens out minorities.”

Still many employers feel it is their right to protect their companies assets, reputation and security as they see fit. By fit I mean using credit information responsibly and as it relates to the job role. Facing a discrimination lawsuit can be just as bad as hiring a bad employee.

Stuart Pratt, chief executive of the Consumer Data Industry Association, basically sums up the role credit checks should play in the entire hiring process:

“It’s our view that a credit report is a piece of a much larger employment puzzle,” he said. “It’s a piece of a puzzle, not the absolute yes or no toggle switch.”

Well said.

For the complete article click here.

“The cost of hiring the wrong person becomes incrementally more expensive the shorter period of time they have been with you. The first 90 days are typically the most expensive to have them on board,” said Sherrier of Employment Enterprises. “If they stay, that is cost you can recover.”

One way to combat employee turnover is by ensuring each employee is properly vetted. This can entail a lot of manpower but if done correctly can save a company a lot of time, energy and resources. While its easy to find candidates in the current job market, it’s not as easy to make sound hiring decisions.

For the complete article click here.

Fetcho was charged with a misdemeanor for emceeing a “Wet Jockey Shorts” contest at a now-closed gay nightclub. His actions were considered a lewd act by undercover state agents. This offense was discovered by state inspectors during their inspection of Victoria Villa which led to his termination.

Ironically due to a series of Sun Sentinal reports which pointed out flaws in Florida’s background screening system the state decided to crack down on caregivers with criminal records. It’s great that the state is taking their employment screening practices seriously but should it be a little more flexible? Obviously in this case, Fetcho had a great track record and it seems like his dated offense had no bearing on his performance as a care giver.  So do you think the state should re-examine its employment screening policy?

For the complete article click here.

Since this incident the hospital has begun running FBI fingerprint checks on all its employees. The report did pose one question which is something all employers should be aware of when running these type of checks. Are nationwide criminal checks enough to prevent from hiring the wrong person? Unfortunately there is no quick and easy answer to that but it helps that you partner with an employment screening company that is trustworthy and has a record of providing accurate information.

For the complete article click here.

The D.C. Council, like other states, feel credit checks pose an “artificial barrier” for those trying to find employment, especially in non-financial related positions. According to the Washington Examiner the bill would prohibit a prospective or current employer from using a credit report for employment purposes. There are of course some exemptions to this as related to the position being hired for.

Making one bad hiring decision can be detrimental for a company which is why employers utilize every tool available to them to make informed hiring decisions.  If employers continue to use credit checks it’s important that they use that information wisely and on a case to case basis. They should also know the right questions to ask when they get back a less than perfect credit report.  It’s understandable that these government officials are trying to help our countries unemployment rate but it shouldn’t get in the way of allowing companies to make decisions that could affect their future.

Read the complete article here.

Some numbers:

- Since December 2007, the U.S. economy has lost 6.7 million jobs.

- In 2010, employers face a projected increase in unemployment insurance tax payments that ranges from 2.5% to 600%.

The article points out that good employment practices are key to effectively controlling these rates. Some practices include:

1. Having the proper pre-employment screening, training, and supervision in place so you can hire and retain the right employees for your business. High turnover contributes to higher unemployment insurance rates.
2. Making sure you accurately manage unemployment claims made by your former employees. Following established procedures along with accurate record-keeping will help you avoid unnecessary claims activity.
3. Always be on the lookout for fraud. Experts estimate that as much as 10% of all costs in the unemployment insurance system are attributable to fraud. Illegitimate claims from employees who are not entitled to collect unemployment insurance drive rates higher.

For the complete article click here.

“Father Eric Dunn, chancellor of the Diocese of Charlottetown, told CBC News the church is simply catching up with what other organizations have been doing for years.”

“Dunn said people in high risk categories, such as those who deal with young people on a regular basis, would have to undergo a criminal background check. Some people may also have their references checked.”

Currently there are no issues with their workers but Dunn says that implementing a background screening policy could minimize the amount of public liability compared to if they did not have one.

A background screening policy not only protects the people connected to an organization but it also protects the good name of that organization.

For the full story click here.