Protecting Employees and Customers from Convicted Sex Offenders - A case study profiling a national retailer’s experience

A nationally known company that thought they had a comprehensive pre-employment screening program recently hired an employee to work at one of its retail store locations as a cashier. The company performed the authorized pre-employment background checks on this individual and uncovered nothing from his past that would prevent hiring him. There is no reason to believe information was missed from his past because they had never encountered a situation that would give them any reason for concern. read more

NRF Launches New Database to Combat Growing Threat of Organized Crime in the Retail Industry

Retail Loss Prevention Intelligence Network, or RLPIN, is a database developed by the National Retail Federation (NRF) in response to the growing threat of organized crime against retailers. It is a secure, web-based computer database built from the ground up, that allows retailers to share information with each other and law enforcement. RLPIN was developed as a collaborative effort among the NRF, retailers, law enforcement, data privacy and technology experts. read more

Top 10 Hit Alert

USIS Acquires Explore

Effective December 30, 2005, USIS acquired Explore Information Services, a leading provider of violation-monitoring database services to the auto insurance industry and related services to government entities.

"This acquisition is a perfect fit with our existing businesses and complements our service approach to the marketplace," said Randy E. Dobbs, Chief Executive Officer of USIS. "The Explore team is absolutely first-rate, and adding this company's capabilities means USIS can offer additional solutions to our customers." read more

Employee Spotlight: Shane Anderson, Director of Process Improvement

At USIS, improving our service and processes is an ongoing commitment. Recently, Shane Anderson joined USIS to lead the Process Improvement department. In this position, Anderson teams with all client facing groups within USIS to drive projects that enable the company to meet and exceed client requirements.

“The plan of attack for process improvement is to start with the two most critical aspects of our business, turnaround time and accuracy,” said Anderson.  “All of our continuous improvement efforts in one way or the other impacts these two factors.” read more

USIS Offers Sexual/Violent Offender Database Search

Annual MVR Processing Available on the Web

USIS clients who order annual MVRs are finding that CTT processing is the quickest, most cost efficient method to do so. CTT allows the user to create an Excel spreadsheet provided by USIS to upload all MVRs into the web. With just a few keystrokes, MVRs are returned the next business day, provided that the upload is completed before the cut-off time of the requested states.

With the CTT upload process, there are no additional fees charged to the user. Once the spreadsheet is complete, the user can save the data and add or delete records as needed before the need to complete the next upload arises. For first-time users or questions about the process, step-by-step training is provided by USIS.

For more information, call 866-205-6129 or email sales@usis.com.

USIS Launches Document Search

Occasionally, you will have the need to obtain copies of record information found on a criminal records product. By conducting a criminal screen, you can prevent the possibility of being held liable for failing to properly screen employees before hiring them. Photocopies can be a valuable resource in the event of a dispute over record information and, in some instances, copies may also be statutorily regulated. read more

States Enact Legislation Affecting Employment Information Disclosure

Two states recently enacted legislation that impacts an employer’s liability for disclosure of information about current and past employees.

Pennsylvania amended its Judiciary and Judicial Procedure Code to grant employers immunity from liability for disclosure of information regarding former or current employees. Act 2005-3 (S. 69), L. 2005

Washington enacted a law providing that an employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer or employment agency at the specific request of that employer or employment agency is presumed to be acting in good faith and is immune from civil and criminal liability for such disclosure if the disclosed information relates to (1) the employee’s ability to perform his or her job; (2) the diligence, skill, or reliability with which the employee carried out the duties of his or her job; or (3) any illegal or wrongful act committed by the employee when related to the duties of his or her job. Ch. 103 (H. 1625), L. 2005

The 2006 MVR Book and Decoder Digest Have Arrived!

Highly recommended for better understanding MVRs, the 2006 MVR Book and Decoder Digest are comprehensive reference books intended for professionals using driver history and motor vehicle records. Each year, state motor vehicle departments make numerous changes that affect the employment screening and insurance industries. For example, states update and add to their violation codes, modify their fee structures and revise restrictions of the release of driver information. These books provide valuable information about each state’s records so you can make more informed decisions. read more

USIS Introduces Statewide Version of the 20/20 Database Search

A single jurisdiction search, such as a county criminal search, could miss pertinent criminal history information outside the jurisdiction, endangering your employees, your property and the general public. USIS 20/20 Statewide Criminal Search broadens your criminal record search and helps you find critical information that may otherwise go undetected. read more

Trade Show Schedule

USIS will be participating in a variety of trade shows in the next couple of months. Please take a look at the list by visiting www.usis.com/commercialservices/calendar.htm.